New Strategies to Improve the Efficiency of the Biological Control Agent, Orius insidiosus (Say), in Greenhouse Ornamental Crops by Meghann Olivia Waite A Thesis presented to The University of Guelph In partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Biology Guelph, Ontario, Canada ©Meghann Olivia Waite, December, 2012 ABSTRACT NEW STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENT, Orius insidiosus (Say), IN GREENHOUSE ORNAMENTAL CROPS Meghann Olivia Waite Advisors: University of Guelph, 2012 Dr. Cynthia Scott-Dupree Dr. Michael Brownbridge This thesis investigated new strategies to increase both the control and cost efficiency of the biological control agent, Orius insidiosus Say (Orius), in greenhouse ornamental crops through the identification of an optimal banker plant species, a suitable source of supplemental food, and the identification of an attractive semiochemical lure. Seven plant species/cultivars were evaluated in laboratory and greenhouse bioassays to determine if the plants could provide: an acceptable food source; a location for oviposition; high nymphal survival and rapid development to the adult stage; and a host plant for sustainable population growth. Based on the results obtained overall, the Purple Flash ornamental pepper is the best candidate for use as a banker plant. Greenhouse and laboratory bioassays investigated the suitability of various supplemental food sources. In greenhouse trials, cattail pollen did not sustain a population of Orius on chrysanthemum plants but did significantly increase the population of the target pest, the western flower thrips. The addition of Ephestia kuehniella eggs or honeybee-collected pollen can increase the production of Orius on Purple Flash banker plants. Orius females fed on E. kuehniella eggs or honeybee- collected pollen laid the greatest numbers of eggs and lived significantly longer compared to those fed apple pollen, cattail pollen, corn pollen in laboratory bioassays. In laboratory olfactory assays and greenhouse release experiments, Orius showed the greatest response to olfactory cues associated with a neryl (S)-2-methylbutanoate lure over odours emitted from a methyl salicylate lure, a methyl isonicotinate lures or clean air. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would, first of all, like to thank my advisors, Drs. Cynthia Scott-Dupree and Michael Brownbridge. Thank you, Cynthia, for your guidance during the past two years and for always inspiring excellence above and beyond what is expected of graduate students. Michael, I extend a sincere thank you for your helpful criticism and sharing your knowledge and expertise. Thank you to the members of my advisory committee, Dr. Rose Buitenhuis for always having an open door and tolerating my endless questions, and Graeme Murphy for your encouragement and advice. Thank you, Mike Short, for your support in the planning process and knowledge translation. I gratefully thank all of the funding agencies who donated to this project, including: a grant provided by OMAFRA-University of Guelph research partnership, OMAFRA-Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) Scholarship Program, and MITACS Accelerate Internship sponsored by Eco-Habitat Agri-Services. Thank you to Biobest Biological Systems Canada Ltd. for generously donating products and to Ronald Valentin for his time and insight. Thank you also to the many greenhouse employees at the Agriculture and Agri- Food Canada (AAFC) research station in Vineland and the University of Guelph including: Jody, Sandy, Mark, Ron, and David for helping me with my numerous technical questions and concerns. I am very grateful to all of the past and present members of the Scott-Dupree, Buitenhuis and Brownbridge labs at the University of Guelph and the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. Thank you to Angela Brommit for your guidance and advice and to Rebecca Eerkes, an enormous help with all of the essential greenhouse tasks. Thank you to Paul Côté, an expert in thrips collection. To Erik Glemser, thank you for the continuous humour, willingness to always lend a helping hand, and making early morning commutes bearable. Thank you to Andrew McFarlane, for all of your hard work, dedication and endless hours involved with colony maintenance. You have been an invaluable contribution to my research. iii Thank you to my office and lab mates: Kruti Shukla, Laura Hewitt, Angela Gradish, Andrew Frewin, and Braden Evans for your advice, statistics insight, coffee dates and the wonderful distractions. I hope the curry night tradition lives on. Thank you to my family and friends for their encouragement, support and belief in me, and especially to my mother who always emphasized the importance of education. To my fiancé Brad- thank you for your unconditional love and patience. Your support, both emotionally and financially, has made the past two years possible. Here‟s to the next chapter. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................. v LIST OF ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................. vii LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................... 1 1.1 Canada’s floriculture industry ........................................................................................... 1 1.2 Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis............................................................ 2 1.2.1 Life History ...................................................................................................................... 2 1.2.2 Plant damage caused by WFT ....................................................................................... 4 1.3 Integrated pest management of WFT ............................................................................... 6 1.3.1 Physical control............................................................................................................... 7 1.3.2 Cultural control................................................................................................................ 7 1.3.3 Chemical control ............................................................................................................. 9 1.3.5 Biological control .......................................................................................................... 13 1.4 Insidious flower bug, Orius insidiosus .......................................................................... 19 1.4.1 Life history .................................................................................................................... 19 1.4.2 Limitations of Orius insidiosus as a BCA ..................................................................... 24 1.5 New strategies to increase the efficiency of Orius insidiosus .................................... 25 1.5.1 Banker plant systems ................................................................................................... 25 1.5.2 Addition of supplemental food ...................................................................................... 28 1.5.3 Use of lures with beneficial insects .............................................................................. 31 1.6 Summary ............................................................................................................................ 32 Chapter 2. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ....................................................................................... 34 Chapter 3. DETERMINATION OF AN OPTIMAL BANKER PLANT FOR THE INSIDIOUS FLOWER BUG [Orius insidiosus (Say)] ................................................................................... 35 3.1 Abstract .............................................................................................................................. 35 3.2 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 35 3.3 Methods.............................................................................................................................. 38 3.3.1 Plants ............................................................................................................................ 38 3.3.2 Insects........................................................................................................................... 39 3.3.3 Laboratory bioassays ................................................................................................... 40 3.3.4 Greenhouse bioassay................................................................................................... 43 v 3.3.5 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 45 3.4 Results................................................................................................................................ 46 3.5 Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 51 Chapter 4. THE EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD ON THE REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF Orius