Azalea lace bug, Stephanitis pyrioides, has been found to infest and damage azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) located in structurally simple landscape habitats more frequently than azaleas in structurally complex habitats. It has been suggested that this discrepancy may be explained by natural enemy suppression. Structurally complex landscape habitats have been found to have greater numbers of generalist predators and lower temperatures. The slow-growth-high-mortality hypothesis predicts that prolonged development in herbivorous insects may result in longer periods of susceptibility to natural enemies, and a subsequent increase in mortality. This hypothesis was tested using the azalea – azalea lace bug system to determine if an increase in structural complexity (shade structure) influenced thermal variation and functional processes related to herbivore development and survival. In laboratory and field trials, azalea lace bug cohorts were placed in sleeve cages on host plants in differential temperature environments and in the presence or absence of natural enemies. The influence of differential thermal environments on lace bug development and survival will be discussed in the context of thermal refuges and conservation biological control.
Species 1: Heteroptera Tingidae Stephanitis pyrioides (azalea lace bug)
Keywords: biological control, green lacewing
Back to Arthropod Pests of Landscape and Production Ornamentals
Back to Formal Conferences
Back to The 2002 ESA Annual Meeting and Exhibition