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Molecular Gut-Content Analysis Reveals High Frequency Of Helicoverpa Zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Consumption By Orius Insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) In Sweet Corn, Julie A. Peterson, E. C. Burkness, James D. Harwood, W. D. Hutchison

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Management of corn earworm Helicoverpa zea in sweet corn grown for processing can be challenging due to the lack of effective transgenic and chemical control options. However, biological control by generalist predators can provide a significant impact on pests in this cropping system. One of the most ubiquitous predators of H. zea and other lepidopterans is the insidious flower bug, Orius insidiosus. This small hemipteran has been observed as an important mortality agent of H. zea in several cropping systems, but the strength of the trophic connection between these species has not been documented in sweet corn. Molecular gut-content …