Resistance of Natural and Mass Reared Populations of the Predatory Bug Orius laevigatus (Fieber) (Heteroptera, Anthocoridae) to the Insecticide Actara®

Resistance to insecticides is one of the main parameters determining the effectiveness of a biocontrol agent because it allows the combination of biological and chemical control. The predatory bug Orius laevigatus is widely used for biological control of various insect pests in greenhouses. Its natural geographic range includes Western, Central, and Southern Europe, the Mediterranean, Northern Africa, and Southern Asia. Orius laevigatus was recently found in Stavropol Territory of Russia, although it is not clear whether the Stavropol population originated from some natural population or from the individuals that had escaped from local greenhouses. To estimate the biocontrol potential of the Stavropol population, we have compared its resistance to Actara® (a neonicotinoid insecticide often applied in greenhouses) with that of the individuals currently used in Russia for biological control of greenhouse pests (the biocontrol population). The experiments showed that the compared populations did not differ in their resistance to Actara®: the observed differences between the relative decreases in 24 h survival, total lifespan, female fecundity, and egg hatching rate were not statistically significant. However, individual variability in the Stavropol population was lower than that in the biocontrol population. In combination, these data suggest that the Stavropol population quite recently originated from the individuals that had escaped from local greenhouses; therefore, it cannot be considered a particularly promising source for further selection for insecticide resistance.