Effects of an alternative diet of Artemia cysts on the development and reproduction of Nesidiocoris tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae)

The small green mirid Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae) preys on pest insects such as whiteflies and serves as a biological control agent in many greenhouses. However, this mirid is limited in its application, because individuals tend to escape from agricultural fields and soon die due to a lack of available food sources. In addition, the food traditionally used to culture N. tenuis is expensive. Thus, identifying low-cost foods for N. tenuis would help to increase the species’ further utilization. Brine shrimp (Artemia spp., Anostraca: Artemiidae) cysts are potentially useful as a low-cost alternative diet to sustain populations of predatory natural enemies. We evaluated the developmental and reproductive performance of N. tenuis when reared on Artemia salina L. cysts supplied in dry or wet form. The dry cysts showed a similar performance to that of Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella Zeller, Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs, which are often used as a nutritional diet for mass rearing of N. tenuis. Although the wet cysts contributed to growth, compared to other diets, they were inferior in nymphal development time and longevity. These results suggest that relatively inexpensive Artemia dry cysts can be used to successfully breed N. tenuis and sustain populations in crop fields.