2nd Place: Examining two Dicyphus species (Hemiptera: Miridae) for their potential use as biological control agents on greenhouse tomato

Greenhouse tomato production represents a large component of Canada’s agricultural output, valued at $666M in 2020. In these environments, pests are a year-round threat to crop production. Chemical control is not always a viable option due to insecticide resistance and detrimental effects on beneficial arthropods – such as pollinators, predators and parasitoids – that are essential for production. Expanding the diversity of alternative pest management tools is essential. Dicyphus hesperus (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a well-established and native biological control agent (BCA) commercially applied in Canada for control of many greenhouse pests, including whiteflies. Recently, colonies were established for two additional and previously unassessed native mirid species - Dicyphus discrepans and Dicyphus famelicus. Here, I present the results of a laboratory study elucidating the potential of these two predator species to consume and control multiple pests of greenhouse tomato, including greenhouse whitefly, western flower thrips and two-spotted spider mites. The value of alternative host plant feeding on predator longevity and fecundity was also examined. This research, together with ongoing greenhouse trials, measures how well these predators establish, persist, and control pests on tomato crops. In addition, this study will begin to clarify the degree of zoophytophagy and potential for plant damage exhibited by these novel BCAs in a greenhouse system. Determining how to utilize these Dicyphus species as BCAs will increase the number of native beneficial predators available for use against currently established and future invasive pests of economic significance.