Integration of chemical and biological control for serpentine leafminer Liriomyza trifolii (Diptera: Agromizidae)

Lyriomyza trifolii is an important leafminer in protected culture. Resistance to almost all pesticides presents significant challenges in the control of this leafminer species. Effective biocontrol agents are available for controlling leafminer populations, but influx of secondary pests like mites, thrips, aphids and white flies disrupt these control strategies. In this experiment, we evaluated miticides that are commonly used for management in greenhouses for their safety to the leafminer parasitoid, Diglyphus isaea and the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus. From the literature, we know that Avid (Abamectin) inflicts high mortality on parasitoids, and the same was validated in this study. We also found that Conserve (Spinosad) was initially harsher on parasitoids than Avid. However, we did find a few chemicals that could be used with minimal impact on natural enemies.