Can the Combined Use of the Mirid Predator and a Braconid Larval Endoparasitoid Improve the Biological Control of ?

The koinobiont solitary larval endoparasitoid (Marsh) (Syn.: ) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and the predatory bug (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae) are important natural enemies of (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), a serious pest of tomato. Although preferentially feeds on eggs, it is also recorded as a predator of first and second instar larval stages. preferentially seeks these early larval stages of for oviposition. The occurrence of intraguild predation between and and the consequences on the oviposition performance of were investigated in the laboratory. Regardless of the manner of introduction (i.e., the sequence of combinations with ) or density (i.e., number of combined with ), the presence of did not affect the oviposition performance of or the parasitoid's progeny. Combination assays revealed that the efficacy of the combined use of and in controlling populations was significantly higher than that of either natural enemy alone. Our results highlight the potential of combining mirid predators and koinobiont larval endoparasitoids to control . The findings further contribute to data supporting the release of in tomato agroecosystems for the control of in Africa, where is widespread and abundant.