Determining the frequency of heteropteran predation on sweetpotato whitefly and pink bollworm using multiple ELISAs

Abstract

Abstract The gut contents of field‐collected, predaceous Heteroptera were assayed for the presence of eggs of the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) and the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) using multiple enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Of seven species examined, Geocoris species and Orius tristicolor (Say) were the most frequent predators of sweetpotato whitefly with 32–39% of the individuals tested over the whole season scoring positive for whitefly antigens. With the exception of Lygus hesperus Knight, a major insect pest as well as a predator, the frequency of predation on pink bollworm eggs was much lower (0.7–14.3% positive over the season). Relatively few predators tested positive for both antigens (0.3–12.5%).