Seasonal abundance of Nesidiocoris tenuis in open sesame fields in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan

Abstract

Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a zoophytophagous predator used for biological control in greenhouse cultivation. We investigated the seasonal abundance of N. tenuis in six fields of open cultivated sesame in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, in 2018. We surveyed each field during the following periods until just before harvest: July to August in three May-sowing fields and August to September in three July-sowing fields. The first individual of N. tenuis was observed on July 10 in a May-sowing field, earlier than that of a previous study in eastern Japan. The mean numbers of N. tenuis individuals per plant in the final survey were 9.1 to 13.2 in the May-sowing fields, whereas they were 21.0 to 31.0 in the July-sowing fields. These results will be useful for the application of indigenous N. tenuis populations for biological control.