Distribution Patterns of Garden Verbena-released Nesidiocoris tenuis onto Greenhouse Tomato Plants Grown in Soil

Abstract

The zoophytophagous insect Nesidiocoris tenuis was released on the garden verbena variant Verbena × hybrida ‘Sunmaref TP-V’ as a banker plant. Verbena plants were planted into the ridges formed by soil-cultured tomato plants in a greenhouse, and the number of N. tenuis present on tomato plants were monitored in 2016 and 2017. Insect numbers were much higher on tomato plants near verbena plants, and also showed an increasing trend over time. These results suggest that verbena plants should be planted densely among tomato plants in order to promote the rapid distribution of N. tenuis throughout the greenhouse.