Ecological interactions of the predatory warehouse pirate bug, Xylocoris flavipes (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), and prey, Liposcelis decolor (Psocodea: Liposcelididae), under different thermo-hygrometric regimes

Predator-prey trophic relationships and the interactions among ecological factors influence individual populations. The present study considered the potential of the warehouse pirate bug Xylocoris flavipes (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) to manage Liposcelis decolor (Pearman) (Psocodea: Liposcelididae). Prey population suppression and progeny production of the predator were assessed under predator-prey ratios (0:240, 1:240, 2:240, 3:240, and 5:240), temperatures (20, 24, 28, and 32 °C), and relative humidities (63, 75, and 85%) over 40 days under laboratory condition of 0:24 (L: D) photoperiod. The results of the number of prey surviving after 40 days of exposure of L. decolor to X. flavipes showed that the three-way interaction of predator-to-prey ratio, temperature, and relative humidity (RH) was significant (p < 0.05). Relative to the Control (predator-to-prey ratio of 0:240), the suppression levels of L. decolor population when X. flavipes predator-to-prey ratios of 1:240, 2:240, 3:240, and 5:240 were used were ~ 97.17, 98.16, 99.06 and 99.46%, respectively. At 32 °C and 75% RH, the optimal conditions for L. decolor, the number of prey surviving in the control was 4045.33 ± 329.874, compared to the range of 22.0 ± 6.12 – 128.25 ± 14.51 for the four release ratios with the predator, representing a prey reduction of 96.8 – 99.46%. Temperature influenced the number of progeny production by X. flavipes with the highest progeny production at 28 °C and predator-to-prey ratio of 1:240. The levels of psocid population suppression achieved under the varying ecological conditions indicate the great potential of X. flavipes for psocid management.