Three Release Rates of (Hemiptera: Miridae) for Management of (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on Greenhouse Tomato.

The sweetpotato whitefly, , is a pest of greenhouse-grown tomato. Restrictions on insecticides in enclosed structures and the presence of commercial pollinators limit the options for the chemical control of whiteflies in greenhouses, increasing the importance of biological controls. is a zoophytophagous mirid predator native to North America. Three release rates of were evaluated on greenhouse tomato for control of the sweetpotato whitefly. The release rates were one, two or three adult per tomato plant each week for three weeks in cages containing four tomato plants and one mullein banker plant. There were fewer whitefly eggs in cages receiving predators than untreated cages one week after the third release, and fewer whitefly nymphs in cages receiving predators two weeks after the third release. There were no statistical differences in whitefly eggs or nymphs among predator release treatments. The highest release rate resulted in a 60% reduction in whitefly nymphs. Forty-two days after the first predator releases, there were no differences among release treatments in the number of . Our results indicate that can contribute management of on greenhouse tomato, but that it may be insufficient as a sole strategy.