Local and landscape context influence precocity of tomato greenhouse colonization by predatory mirid bugs

Abstract: Early entrance of natural enemies into greenhouses and their subsequent establishment on the crop are key factors for successful conservation biological control. Here we analyse which greenhouse characteristics and greenhouse surrounding landscape context determine the precocity of predatory mirid bug entrance into tomato greenhouses. To this aim, through on-plant counting and yellow sticky traps, we relate the precocity in 12 greenhouses to landscape and greenhouse characteristics. Proportion of herbaceous and shrub pasture in the landscape at the distance of 250 m from each greenhouse and the presence of Calendula companion plants inside or close to the greenhouses resulted the most influential factors for Macrolophus pygmaeus precocity.