Can entomophagous Heteroptera take a role in suppressing herbivorous insect pests?

Abstract: A faunistic survey of Hemiptera-Heteroptera (True-Bugs) inhabiting selected cropplants and weeds was performed in Assiut Governorate 375km north of Cairo, Upper Egypt,during summer seasons of 2009 and 2010. Twenty-two Heteropteran species belonging to 8families were recorded. Host plant range and preferred host plants were identified. Relativeabundance was calculated by dividing the number of samples in which each species occurred bythe total number of samples (abundance percentage). The predaceous species Orius spp. andDeraeocoris serenus Douglas & Scott showed the highest levels of abundance. However, thepredators Geocoris megacephalus (Rossi) and Coranus aegyptius (Fabricius) reached onlymoderate densities. Moreover the potential of the mirid D. serenus in consuming the aphidspecies Therioaphis trifolii (Monell) was determined in laboratory studies.