Importance of wildflowers in Orius insidiosus (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) diet

Abstract

Abstract The addition of non-crop floral resources is known to improve the fitness of many beneficial arthropods. Orius insidiosus (Say; Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) is a predator of several economically important pests and is known to feed on pollen. Spanish needles, Bidens alba L., and Leavenworth’s tickseed, Coreopsis leavenworthii Torrey & Gray (both Asteraceae), are two Florida native wildflowers that may serve as sources of pollen beneficial to O. insidiosus. The current study investigated the effects of adding flowers from C. leavenworthii and B. alba to the diet of captive O. insidiosus on longevity, nymphal development time, and cannibalism. A mixed diet of flowers and thrips prey increased O. insidiosus adult female longevity. Nymphal development time was reduced when B. alba was added to thrips when compared to a diet of thrips alone. Interestingly, cannibalism was low in all instances, suggesting a negligible effect of cannibalism on O. insidiosus except perhaps in extreme situations. These results indicate that B. alba and C. leavenworthii flowers can increase longevity and fitness of O. insidiosus, thus providing support for the use of these plants to enhance natural enemy services.