In recent years, Liorhyssus hyalinus (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Rhopalidae) and Nysius simulans Stål (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) have emerged as important pests of quinoa in Peru, when the crop started to be cultivated at relatively low elevations. The potential of the native lacewing Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) was evaluated as a biological control agent of these two pest species. Prey consumption on all immature stages of L. hyalinus and N. simulans was assessed, as well as development on first instars of these heteropterans and eggs of Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) as a factitious prey. In addition, prey preference was examined in the absence and presence of a preferred prey, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Larvae of the predator were not able to feed on L. hyalinus eggs, but they effectively did on N. simulans eggs as well as on all nymphal instars of both species. Nymphs of L. hyalinus were less suitable prey for larval development of C. externa than eggs of S. cerealella, whereas N. simulans was overall an unsuitable prey. There was a clear prey preference of C. externa for aphids over the two heteropteran species, as well as a preference for N. simulans over L. hyalinus. The predation rates in this study indicate the potential of C. externa as a predator of these heteropteran pests that can play a role in both conservation and augmentation biological control programs.
Keywords: Biological control; Chrysoperla externa; Liorhyssus hyalinus; Nysius simulans; Quinoa.
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