Acylsugar tomato lines suppress whiteflies and <i>Amblyseius swirskii</i> establishment

Plant defense traits such as trichomes along with biocontrol agents may provide alternatives to insecticide use in tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum L. (Solanaceae). However, plant-herbivore-natural enemy interactions are not always complementary. In a series of greenhouse and field experiments, we explored whether augmented (i.e., production acylsugars) tomato plants could reduce sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), populations aid the establishment predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae). experiment, commercial cultivars acylsugar-producing lines received no mites or released via three methods: dusting on top, bottom, slow-release sachets. first were onto second experiment using similar design, diet an alternative non-prey resource cattail pollen). Our results indicated that supported significantly fewer whiteflies than all experiments. field, despite lower whitefly numbers, Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) (Geminiviridae, Begomovirus) was detected at higher frequencies lines. Few recovered from experiments suggesting A. does establish well acylsugar successfully decreased but viral disease transmitted even low abundance.