We evaluated the effectiveness of vapor heat treatment on Thrips palmi Karny, Bemisia tabaci（Gennadius）, and colonies of powdery mildew, Sphaerotheca fuliginea（Schlechtendal）Pollacci, on greenhouse melon seedlings. Air was gradually heated to a set temperature（48°C）over 45 min while the relative humidity was maintained at 95%. The set temperature was then held for 8 min. The numbers of T. palmi adults and larvae, B. tabaci adults, and colonies of powdery mildew were lower on seedlings held at 48°C for 8 min than on untreated seedlings. The hatchability of T. palmi and the ratio of emerged adults were lower on treated than on untreated seedlings. Treatment at 48°C for 8 min did not visibly damage the seedlings. These results suggest that vapor heat treatment at 48°C for 8 min can effectively reduce the population densities of T. palmi eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults, B. tabaci adults, and powdery mildew on greenhouse melon seedlings.

This study aimed to identify fundamental information regarding the flight dispersal of Eysarcoris aeneus （Scopoli）. We investigated the seasonal fluctuations in starvation tolerance, nutritional levels, flight muscles, and ovary development in adult individuals collected from weedy and paddy fields in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. Female and male adults exhibited a mean survival period of 2.03 and 1.84 days, respectively, under no water and no feeding conditions at 25°C. New adults exhibited higher starvation tolerance than overwintered adults. The nutritional status was most favorable for overwintered adults in May but declined after June. Overwintered adults had more favorable nutritional status than new adults. Flight muscle development in females varied markedly with the season. A high proportion of individuals had mature ovaries from late May to mid-June, whereas a mixture of mature and immature individuals was observed after July. Based on the physiological status of flying and nonflying E. aeneus individuals, no difference was observed in the nutritional levels among overwintered adults, and flight occurred in individuals with more advanced ovary development. However, there were no differences in ovary development among new adults, and flight occurred in individuals with poor nutritional levels. In conclusion, compared with overwintered adults, new E. aeneus adults displayed physiological characteristics that were associated with dispersal.