The use of suitable mass rearing methods is crucial to establish successful inundative or
inoculative biological control programs. The development of an artificial diet considerably
reduces costs of mass rearing. In this study, the efficacy of a new meridic artificial
diet for rearing the predatory bug, Orius albidipennis (Het., Anthocoridae), was studied.
The artificial diet was composed of some natural materials including lamb liver, hen yolk,
whey protein, honey, royal jelly and some specific vitamins. To determine the artificial diet
efficacy life table parameters of the bugs, using the two-sex life table method, fed artificial
and factitious diets, Ephestia kuehniella egg + date palm pollen, were compared. Results
showed that O. albidipennis could complete its life stages and reproduce when reared on the
recommended artificial diet. However, its fecundity and survival rate when fed the artificial
diet was lower than the controls. Overall, due to lower production costs the artificial diet
can be recommended for mass rearing of O. albidipennis despite the lower fecundity and
survival rate.
Studies on the relative toxicity of different bio-rational insecticides against second instar larvae and adults of onion thrips, Thrips tabaci were carried out on Experimental Farm and in the laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Suez Canal. Eight insecticides Dipel 2x, BioFly, Agrin, BioGuard, Spinosad, Neemix, Mectin and Match were all evaluated for their relative toxicity towards T. tabaci with recommended dose, half of recommended dose and quarter of recommended dose in the laboratory and only recommended dose under field conditions. Spinosad was the most toxic among the tested insecticides followed by Mectin, Match and Agrin when used against thrips adults. The respective values of LC50 of those insecticides were 0.048 cm/l, 0.070 cm/l, 0.079 cm/l and 0.137 g/l. Also, Spinosad was the most effective insecticide against second instar larvae followed descendingly by: Agrin, Match and Dipel 2x. Toxicity index values at LC50 level show such superior efficiency of Spinosad (100%) when applied against adults and second instar larvae of onion thrips under labora tory conditions. All insecticides under field conditions caused reduction of infestations of thrips. For the residual effect post application, all insecticides gave significant reductions in thrips numbers at the 21 day post treatment except for: Agrin and Match. Spinosad, Mectin, Neemix and BioFly gave the best control and continued to suppress thrips populations till 21 days after treatment. Spinosad was non harmful and Dipel 2x, Agrin were slightly harmful, BioGuard was significantly harmful whereas BioFly, Match and Mectin were very harmful to Orius albidipennis.