Skip to main content
Entomology 2023 Main banner
Bayer
Icon Legend
This session is not in your schedule.
This session is in your schedule. Click again to remove it.
Presentation Icons
In-Person
In-Person
On-Demand
On-Demand
Student Competition
Student Competition
Poster
Poster
Ticketed Event
Ticketed Event
Back
ViewAttendees 1

Section Symposium

Plant-Insect Ecosystems

Protected Culture IPM: Controlling Pests from Within

Surprisingly resilient: aphid predator performance under simulated winter high tunnel conditions

Wednesday, November 8, 2023
4:05 PM – 4:20 PM ET
Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Chesapeake B-C
In-Person

    Presenting Author(s)

  • AW

    Anna Wallingford

    Entomology Extension State Specialist
    University of New Hampshire
    Durham, New Hampshire

    • Co-author(s)

  • KA

    Katheryn Agostini

    University of New Hampshire
    Durham, New Hampshire

  • MW

    Morgan White

    University of New Hampshire
    Durham, New Hampshire

  • RS

    Rebecca Sideman

    University of New Hampshire
    Durham, New Hampshire

High tunnels (HTs) are plastic-covered greenhouses or hoophouses without a permanent foundation. Cold tolerant winter crops will thrive in HTs through the winter, even without supplemental heating. Pest insects (e.g. green peach aphid, Myzus persicae) also benefit by protection from extreme abiotic conditions and absence of their natural enemies. Optimal abiotic conditions for augmentation biological control is well studied, but minimum temperatures for predation are unknown for many of our most common commercial predators. We evaluated three aphid predators, Chrysopa spp. larvae, Adalia bipunctata larvae, and Hippodamia convergens adults, for mortality following acute chill coma (5 min @ -10 °C), chill coma recovery time, predator performance after chill coma, and predator performance at various HT temperatures (5, 15, 25 °C). All three predators were found to survive and perform well at conditions similar to those that would be experienced within HTs in northeastern North America. Strengths and weaknesses of each commercial predator are discussed.