Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur, 1839) (Insecta, Heteroptera, Miridae) is a predator of key vegetable crop pests applied as a biocontrol agent in the Mediterranean region. Macrolophus pygmaeus and Macrolophus melanotoma (A. Costa, 1853) are cryptic species with great morphological similarity which results in their misidentification and negative consequences for the conservation of their population...

It is a new synonym of Macrolophus melanotoma (Costa 1853) according to Carapezza (1995). It is very difficult to be separated from Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur,1839) and recent studies using mitochondrial DNA analysis, morphological studies and crossings between populations (Perdikis et al. 2003), molecular methods (Martinez-Cascales et al. 2006) and Perdikis et al. (unpubl. data) showed that ...

Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur, 1839) is recorded for the first time in New Zealand. Viable adult M. pygmaeus were collected in the field in Auckland, in 2007, indicating that the species had already established itself in this country. The biology of M. pygmaeus is briefly discussed in the light of its potential economic benefits to growers of vegetable crops affected by whitefly (Aleyrodidae). T...

Within the genus Macrolophus (Heteroptera: Miridae), the species M. costalis (Fieber), M. melanotoma (Costa) and M. pygmaeus (Rambur) are present in the Mediterranean region on a wide variety of plant species. While M. costalis can easily be separated from the other two by the black tip at the scutellum, M. pygmaeus and M. melanotoma are cryptic species, extremely similar to one another in exte...

Macrolophus pygmaeus (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a common generalist predator in Mediterranean agro-ecosystems. We evaluated the lethal effects of six insecticides and a fungicide on M. pygmaeus nymphs exposed to the pesticides through three routes of exposure: direct, residual and oral. Chlorantraniliprole and emamectin-benzoate caused less than 25% mortality to M. pygmaeus and were classified as ...

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) has quickly developed into a significant tomato pest worldwide. While the recently found mirid predators Macrolophus basicornis (Stal), Engytatus varians (Distant) and Campyloneuropsis infumatus (Carvalho) of this pest are able to establish and reproduce on tomato, biological knowledge of these mirids is still limited. Here we describe the functional response of the thre...

Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a generalist predatory mirid widely used in augmentative biological control of various insect pests in greenhouse tomato production in Europe, including the invasive tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae). However, its biocontrol efficacy often relies on the presence of alternative prey. The present study aimed at...

Recent studies have suggested that predatory mirid bugs may be an effective alternative for controlling aphids in sweet pepper greenhouses. This study examined the effect of three constant temperatures (18, 24, and 30 °C) on life history traits species Nesidiocoris tenuis, Macrolophus pygmaeus, Dicyphus bolivari, preying aphid Myzus persicae nicotianae plants. As temperature increased, survival...