Development of a banker plant method for Nesidiocoris tenuis to suppress whiteflies in tomato greenhouses

Abstract: Nesidiocoris tenuis has been used as a biological control agent against whiteflies particularly in greenhouses. In this study, we evaluated 12 plant species as banker plants for N. tenuis. From the results of the open field and the greenhouse trials, the garden verbena, Verbena × hybrida (Verbenaceae), showed to be a suitable banker plant for N. tenuis.