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Effects of Different Thermo-Hygrometric Conditions on Ecological Interactions Between the Warehouse Pirate Bug, Xylocoris flavipes (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), and Its Prey, Liposcelis decolor (Psocodea: Liposcelididae)
1
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Oklahoma State University, 127 Noble Research Center, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
2
CSIR-Plant Genetic Resources Research Institute, Bunso P.O. Box 7, Ghana
3
Department of Statistics, Oklahoma State University, 301 Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Sciences, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Insects 2025, 16(9), 888; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16090888 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 11 July 2025
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Revised: 18 August 2025
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Accepted: 22 August 2025
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Published: 25 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Insect Physiology, Reproduction and Development)
Simple Summary
Stored-grain psocids have natural tolerance to insecticides including phosphine; thus, managing them with conventional methods is difficult. Xylocoris flavipes, commonly known as the warehouse pirate bug, is a predator of stored-product insect pests with potential for use as a biocontrol agent to manage psocids. This study demonstrates the potential of X. flavipes to manage Liposcelis decolor, a psocid species with high tolerance to phosphine. Prey suppression and progeny produced by X. flavipes were assessed at five predator–prey (P-P) ratios (0:240, 1:240, 2:240, 3:240, and 5:240), four temperatures (20, 24, 28, and 32 °C), and three relative humidities (RH) (63, 75, and 85%) over 40 days at 0:24 (L:D) photoperiod in the laboratory. The study found that X. flavipes preyed on L. decolor and caused ~97.17–99.46% L. decolor population suppression for 1:240, 2:240, 3:240, and 5:240 P-P ratios under the different laboratory temperatures and RH. Xylocoris flavipes also increased its progeny and established itself at both low and high release ratios across the tested temperatures and RH conditions. Suppression caused by X. flavipes demonstrates its potential as a biological control agent to manage psocid infestations in stored commodities.
Abstract
Physical conditions in grain storage environments influence trophic interactions between predators and their prey and can affect the effectiveness of biocontrol agents. The study aimed to assess the potential of Xylocoris flavipes (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), to manage Liposcelis decolor (Pearman) (Psocodea: Liposcelididae). Liposcelis decolor population suppression and X. flavipes progeny production were assessed at five predator–prey (P-P) ratios (0:240, 1:240, 2:240, 3:240, and 5:240), four temperatures (20, 24, 28, and 32 °C), and three relative humidities (RH) (63, 75, and 85%) over 40 days at 0:24 (L:D) photoperiod in the laboratory. Compared with the Control P-P ratio of 0:240 (no predators), prey suppression >97% was achieved across all predator release ratios. At 32 °C and 75% RH, which are the optimal conditions for L. decolor, 3985.13 ± 255.45 prey survived in the Control P-P ratio compared with 19.85 ± 2.47–115.73 ± 8.99 found for the four P-P ratios with the predator, representing prey reduction of 97.10–99.50%. Temperature influenced X. flavipes progeny production, which was greatest at 28 °C and a P-P ratio of 1:240. Suppression caused by X. flavipes demonstrates its potential as a biological control agent to manage psocid infestations in stored commodities.
