Sitotroga Cerealella Research Articles

Downregulation of chitin synthase A gene by diallyl trisulfide, an active substance from garlic essential oil, inhibits oviposition and alters the morphology of adult Sitotroga cerealella

The Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella Olivier (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is the most serious and destructive pest of stored commodities around the globe, particularly on wheat, rice and maize. Previously, we confirmed that diallyl trisulfide (DAT), an active substance from garlic essential oil, reduced oviposition of females after a fumigation at the sublethal concentration (LC20 = 0.015 µL/L); meanwhile, through transcriptome sequencing, we found that DAT significantly downregulates the expression of chitin synthase A (CHSA) gene. To gain a broader insight, we assessed effects of DAT and dsRNA of CHSA gene of S. cerealella (dsScerCHSA) on the morphology, physiology and oviposition of adult S. cerealella, and we found that ScerCHSA was expressed in the adult stage and observed higher in the cuticle. Furthermore, results indicated that DAT fumigation significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of ScerCHSA and inhibited moth oviposition at the sublethal concentration. Downregulation of ScerCHSA resulted in chitin reduction, epidermal disruption, morphological and physiological alterations. Meanwhile, silencing of ScerCHSA resulted in the oviposition reduction of the moth; moreover, the morphological and physiological alterations were similar to the group treated with DAT. Therefore, we conclude that DAT could regulate the expression of ScerCHSA at the transcriptional level, cause histological and morphological alteration and finally inhibit the moth oviposition, which proves DAT possesses the great potential for being used in pest control as a friendly biopesticide.

Quality control of the parasitoid wasp Trichogramma brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) over 45 generations of rearing on Sitotroga cerealella.

Trichogramma brassicae (Bezdenko) is an important biological control agent that has been used widely against many lepidopteran pests. Commonly, colonies of Trichogramma are mass reared on factitious hosts such as Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) over many generations. In this study, we evaluated the quality and performance of a colony of T. brassicae that had been reared for over 45 generations (G) using two-sex life table parameters and parasitism capacity. We found that female adult longevity was significantly different among sequential generations, ranging from 5.58 ± 2.5 d (at G5) to 3.75 ± 1.42 d (at G45). However, no significant difference was found in male adult longevity among different generations. Although female wasps survived longer until the 15th generation, they allocated more days for egg laying at G5 and G10. The highest values of gross reproductive rate (GRR), net reproductive rate (R0 ), intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ) and mean generation time (T) were found in G5 and G10, which also showed significantly higher c0 . No significant difference in the finite parasitism rate (ω) was found among generations up to G15. These results suggest that T. brassicae wasps held under continuous laboratory rearing can be used successfully in biological control programs until the 15th generation without any loss of quality or performance. However, laboratory mass rearing colonies declined in quality after 15 generations and we suggest that they should be rejuvenated regularly by adding field-collected parasitoids periodically.

Effect of diet, maintenance frequency, and environmental conditions on the rearing of Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) in Neotropical highlands

To standardize and optimize the mass rearing of Orius insidiosus (Say) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), an important natural enemy of the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), a method using a production batch system for the rearing of this predator was evaluated. A total of 28 production batches (one batch was defined as a set of cohorts) were evaluated, in which some variables were alternated, such as the rearing conditions (laboratory or greenhouse), type of diet provided (F. occidentalis individuals alone or with Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), and frequency of maintenance (24 or 48 h). Each batch was monitored by recording parameters necessary for rearing, such as the survival of initial individuals, oviposition, time taken for new adult individuals to develop, and the total production of new adults. It was determined that when using a mixed diet, the production of new adult individuals was 8.4 times greater than when only a single food source was provided. Additionally, the constant conditions of the laboratory resulted in 4.9 times greater production than in the greenhouse and reduced the time required to obtain new individuals by 11.8 days. Further, a 48-h feeding frequency produced 4.2 times more individuals than a 24-h frequency. Control of these parameters will allow the standardization of a batch production process for ensuring the continuation of O. insidiosus production for use in biological control programs.

Influence of seed treatments and storage containers on Angoumois grain moth (<em>Sitotroga cerealella</em>)<em> </em>infestation in rice seed storability

Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) is a major pest that causes severe damage to rice seeds during storage. A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of seed treatments viz., Acorus calamus rhizome powder @ 3 g/kg, Diatomaceous earth @ 5 g/kg and Thiamethoxam 30 FS @ 5 ml/kg and storage containers viz., gunny bag and non-woven bags against Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) infestation during storage. Among different seed treatment methods, Thiamethoxam 30 FS @ 5 ml/kg exhibited significantly very less insect damage (1.5%) followed by Diatomaceous Earth @ 5 g/kg (4.4%). Among the containers, insect damage was lower in non-woven bag (2.0%) compared to gunny bag (5.7%). The Thiamethoxam treated seeds stored in non-woven bags maintained 90% germination, even after nine months of storage when compared to control (71%).

Assessment of Grain Storage Structures and Containers in Relation to Build-Up of Insect and Rodent Pests in Southwestern Ethiopia

This study was designed to assess farmers grain storage containers in relation to buildup of storage pests in three selected districts of southwestern Ethiopia. One district was selected from each zone based on the production potential of selected grain crops such as maize, sorghum, wheat and faba bean. Then, 25 households were randomly selected from each district to collect stored grain samples used for the identification of storage insect pests, and grain samples were taken from different storage structures, including un-plastered and plastered gombisa, gumbi, and polypropylene sacks. The results showed that the dominant insect species in maize, sorghum and wheat grains were weevils ( Sitophilus spp.) followed by the Angoumois grain moth ( Sitotroga cerealella Olivier) and flour beetles ( Tribolium spp.), while the bean weevil ( Zabrotes spp.) was the only species recovered from stored faba beans. High numbers of insects were recorded from both plastered and un-plastered gombisa, gumbi and polypropylene sacks. In addition, the number of each insect pest in each storage method recorded per 100 g -1 grain increased as the duration of grain storage increased. The results of this study also demonstrated that most of the farmers in the study areas perceived insect pests and rodents as the main postharvest pests causing considerable losses of stored grains. The poor storage systems of farmers predispose the stored grains to insect and rodent attacks. Thus, there is a need to train farmers on storage hygiene and to develop and disseminate efficient grain storage facilities to reduce losses in grain stores. Moreover, further studies need an improved pest detection method, such as the use of bioacoustics tools, to manage pests associated with grain stores. Keywords: grain, insects, rodents, storage DOI : 10.7176/FSQM/93-04 Publication date: January 31 st 2020

Performance of a generalist predator, Podisus maculiventris (say) (Hemiptera:Pentatomidae) fed with adult grain moth Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) at late nymphal and adult stages

The predatory heteropteran bug Podisus maculiventris is the one of the most effective predators of coleopteran and lepidopteran pests. Here we assessed the effects of switching the prey of Galleria mellonella L. with two treatments of Sitotroga cerealella moths at 1st(2days) and 2nd(4days). There were no significant differences in survival between 1st variant of moths when it introduced to the 4th nymph instar and adult’s stages or 2nd variant for adult pairs compared with control. Generally, the grain moth diet had no negative effect on developmental time for both males and females. Adult’s longevity dropped remarkably at the 2nd treatment, at the same time it was similar to control at both treatments with adults. Fecundity data indicated slight differences in both treatments at adult stages. The egg mass production decreased 3.8 fold in 1st treatment at the 4th nymph stage. No significant differences were observed in egg viability in most treatments except 2days grain moths with 4th nymph instar. Although significant differences were found in total eggs’ numbers within treatments, no significant differences were recorded in adult stage for both treatments as compared to control. We can conclude that using Angoumois grain moth adults as alternative factious prey to feed immature stages and adults of predatory solider bugs need more attention in mass rearing technology.

Effect of Diallyl Trisulfide on the Reproductive Behavior of the Grain Moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae).

The Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier, 1789) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is primarily a pest of stored products, that feeds inside the grain as larvae inducing significant economic loss in various stored commodities. Our previous studies proved that garlic essential oil and its active substances inhibit oviposition in moths. To further explore the effect on reproductive behavior and accurately interpret the results in terms of effective control of the moth population, moths were treated with diallyl trisulfide (DATS), an active substance of garlic essential oil, at a dose of 0.015 µL/L in air (LC20, sub-lethal concentration). The results showed that fecundity and the proportion of viable eggs significantly decreased when the moths were treated with LC20 DATS. Furthermore, female circadian mating rhythms and calling periodicity changed significantly after treatment. Compared with controls, the peak in mating occurred approximately 1 h earlier on the first day after DATS treatment, while it was significantly later on days 2 and 3. Moreover, mating frequency declined in presence of DATS compared with the controls. The percentage of females engaging in calling behavior decreased significantly with time, to less than 50%, 2 days after treatment, while a high calling percentage (>80%) was recorded for control moths on all 4 days. In addition, DATS had an inhibitory effect on the mating duration of S. cerealella. Moreover, a significant reduction was observed in the amount of sex pheromones extracted 8 h and 9 h after treatment. Our findings suggested that DATS has the potential to manipulate the moth population at LC20 and would be an efficient alternative to synthetic insecticides for the control of pests having low toxicity to non-target organisms and ecosystems.

Cold storage and gamma irradiation of Sitotroga cerealella Olivier eggs (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in relation to the success of parasitism by Trichogramma evanescens Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

The performance of parasitism by the egg parasitoid, Trichogramma evanescens Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) on eggs of Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella Olivier (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) was investigated under cold storage and gamma irradiation treatments of the host eggs. Cold storage treatment could improve the parasitoid mass rearing techniques and reduced the costs of biological control programs, while gamma irradiation might be used as a supplementary support at the times of high demand. The suitability of the S. cerealella eggs, stored at – 20 °C for 0.5, 1, or 2 h. as a host for T. evanescens was evaluated. The sensitivity of S. cerealella eggs to gamma irradiation treatments and the acceptability of irradiated eggs for parasitism by T. evanescens females for the parental P and F1 generations were examined. The results revealed that parasitism was drastically reduced more than adult’s emergence and sex-ratio (% of females) after cold storage periods of S. cerealella eggs. Moreover, the parasitism percentages were relatively reduced to (97.1, 96.1, 93.03, and 92.7 %) after irradiating the S. cerealella eggs at 40, 60, 80, and 100 Gy, respectively than the control (97.3% emergence). The percentages of emergence and females’ percent were slightly decreased by gamma irradiation doses, while, equal preferred by the F1 generation of parasitoid that produced from irradiated S. cerealella eggs.

Mapping of maize storage losses due to insect pests in central Mexico

Postharvest grain storage are a major problem in Mexico, influencing the economy, livelihoods, and food security of most farmers. At present, very limited information is available on postharvest maize losses and the associated insect pests in Mexico. Therefore, the objective of this study was to quantify and map maize storage losses in Central Mexico (State of Mexico) to analyze the effects of major pests in the different regions and to provide useful data to policymakers and local stakeholders. The study was conducted with 120 farmers dispersed across all regions of maize production in the State of Mexico. Storage losses were quantified using standardized maize samples that harvest, stored for a year, and sampled periodically. These data, together with geographic coordinates, were integrated into a geographic information system (GIS) to generate maps of maize storage damage and weight losses. The resulting maps show that in the southern region of the State of Mexico the standardized samples exhibited the highest maize losses after a one-year storage period, with an average of 76% loss and 100% grain damage, followed by the northern region, with an average of 18% loss and 52% damage. The eastern region reported 10% loss and 16% damage, whereas the Central region showed 5% loss and 14% damage. The main storage pests identified displayed localized geographic distributions, with the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais, being mainly localized in the South, the larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatu, in the East and North, and the angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella, in the Northeast and Central regions. Thus, these maps are robust tools that will help towards improving storage facilities and increasing food security for small-scale farmers.

Lethal and parasitism effects of selected novel pesticides on adult Trichogramma chilonis (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Integration of chemical and biological controls is an important tactic of integrated pest management. Trichogramma chilonis (Ishii) is an important natural enemy of lepidopteran pests. However, the minute parasitoids are adversely affected by most pesticides. Effects of acute mortality and parasitism of selected novel pesticides on adults of T. chilonis exposed to the dried residues of field doses for 24 h on glass surface were evaluated. Acetamiprid, spinetoram and fipronil induced mortality of > 95%, followed by abamectin (ranged 71.3–83.5%) in four residual-age treatments. Spiromesifen, haloxyfop-p-methyl, mixture of pyraclostrobin + metiram and mixture of trifloxystrobin + tebuconazole revealed mortality of ≤ 36.4% in all treatments (when female parasitoids were exposed to 1 day, 5 days, 10 days and 15 days after treatments). Bispyribac sodium induced mortality of ranged 51.1–54.9% in 1- and 5-day treatments, and approximately ≤ 10% in others (10-day and 15-day treatment). Eggs of Sitotroga cerealella in acetamiprid, spinetoram, fipronil and abamectin treatments showed ≤ 36% parasitism relative to controls in all treatments. Spirotetramat, bispyribac sodium, nicosulfuron, trifloxystrobin + tebuconazole and pyraclostrobin + metiram resulted in parasitism rates of 49.2–71.2% and 81.5–93.8% in 1-day and 15-day treatment, respectively. Helicoverpa armigera nucleopolyhedrovirus, chlorantraniprole, spiromesifen haloxyfop-p-methyl, chlorothalonil + procymidone and myclobutanil showed ≥ 80.6% parasitism in all treatments. Thus, acetamiprid, spinetoram, fipronil and abamectin were the most harmful among the pesticides used for both emergence and parasitism, while remaining pesticides demonstrated relatively compatibility with the emergence as well as parasitism by the minute parasitoids, and can be integrated with the minute parasitoid in agroecosystem.

Protection of Irradiated Stored Maize against Angoumois Grain Moth, Sitotroga cerealella (S) And Zea Weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (L) by Using some Botanical Oils

The 3KGy dose caused complete mortality for Sitophilus zeamais adults 48h post-irradiation. The eggs of Sitotroga cerealella failed to hatch at both doses 1.5&3KGy. Usually the newly hatched larvae from irradiated eggs with 0.75 KGy died soon after hatching without passing through metamorphosis. Different concentrations (0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 %) from four selected oils of onion, clove, and orange were tested for their toxicity activity against eggs and weevils. Experiments conducted revealed that garlic oil at 4% concentration was more efficient against the adult weevil than the egg moth and exposure period 48h, which gave 100% and 76.66 % mortality, respectively. It was noticed that the same trend of toxicity for the three other oils held for both species. The reduction in the percent eggs hatched; pupation and emergence were directly proportional to the level of concentrations of tested oils and the time of exposure. Also, the reduction in the F1 progeny weevils was positively correlated with concentration and exposure time. It is possible using both favorite oils garlic and clove at LC95% to spraying polypropylene sacs for protection irradiated maize grains with a dose 3KGyfrom reinfestation by the tested insect within the storage period tested.

Biological Studies on the Effect of Gamma Radiation and Thermal Treatment on the Angoumois Grain Moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier)

Gamma radiation and heat treatments are considered promising techniques for disinfestation treatments against stored product pests. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of thermal treatment with 40, 50, 70 and 90°C and different doses of gamma radiation from 40 to 350 Gy on Sitotroga cerealella stages. The result demonstrated that the LD50 of gamma-irradiation was 57.7, 61.9 and 74.0 Gy in irradiated eggs, pupae, and larvae, respectively. Concomitantly, the complete mortality (100 %) of heat treatment was recorded at 40°C, while the 90°C caused 100 % mortality to larva and egg stages. The results indicated that the egg stage is highly sensitive to irradiation doses than larvae and pupal stages, while the pupal stage is highly sensitive to the heat treatments than eggs and larval stages. Consequently, treatment with low doses 80 Gy and low heat condition 40°C was more effective than the other combination treatments. The results suggested that 80 Gy & 40°C was an effective treatment to prevent the reproduction of S. cerealella and could use for managing this pest with was the environment.

Evaluation of alternatives to synthetic pesticides under small-scale farmer-managed grain storage conditions

Reducing farm-level grain storage losses for small-scale rural farmers is important for sustainable household food security in Africa. Farmer-managed trials were conducted over two 32-week grain storage seasons in Zimbabwe to evaluate the effectiveness of diatomaceous earths (DEs); Protect-It® and Chemutsi (raw local DE), enhanced with low doses of deltamethrin or spinosad as protectants of stored maize grain for control of major storage pests: Sitophilus zeamais, Prostephanus truncatus, Tribolium castaneum and Sitotroga cerealella. Five combinations of DE-spinosad and DE-deltamethrin were compared against a commercial insecticide mixture of pirimiphos-methyl + deltamethrin and an untreated control. Treatment effects on insect numbers, grain damage and weight loss, and grain moisture content were assessed at 8-week intervals. Protect-It® 0.1% + deltamethrin 0.0005% w/w, Protect-It® 0.05% + spinosad 0.005% w/w, and Chemutsi 0.1% + spinosad 0.0075% w/w were the most effective (P < 0.001) treatments when all efficacy parameters were considered. These low-dose DE-based combinations have potential to replace organophosphate-based commercial grain protectants currently used in small-scale grain storage systems and thus contribute towards improved household food security and safety in Africa.

Prey consumption and development of the indigenous lacewing Chrysoperla externa feeding on two exotic Eucalyptus pests

ABSTRACTThe green lacewing Chrysoperla externa is a widespread species in the Neotropical region that occurs in different habitats. Its presence in Eucalyptus plantations infested with Glycaspis brimblecombei (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) and Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae) suggests that this lacewing might feed on one or both exotic pest species. In order to evaluate C. externa as a potential biocontrol agent of the eucalyptus pests, the prey consumption, development, survival and reproduction of the predator were evaluated under laboratory conditions. C. externa larvae consumed nymphs of both pest species. Developmental time and reproduction parameters of C. externa fed G. brimblecombei were similar to those obtained with the factitious prey Sitotroga cerealella. When fed on T. peregrinus, C. externa showed a delay in its developmental time and the emerged adults were malformed. The results of this study suggest that the green lacewing is a good candidate to be used in augmentative or conservative biological control programmes against G. brimblecombei. Further research is necessary to analyse the potential of this predator as a biocontrol agent under field conditions.

Prevalence and abundance of insect pests in stored pulses collected from two local markets of Dhaka city

Prevalence and abundance of stored grain insect pests in four varieties of pulses i.e. Lens culinaris, Pisum staivum, Cicer arietinum collected from two markets of Dhaka city were recorded. Nine species of insect pests, viz. Sitophilus oryzae, Tribolium castaneum, Callosobruchus chinensis, C. maculatus, Rhizopertha dominica, Oryzaephilus surinamensis, Liposcelis entomophila, Sitotroga cerealella, and Formica sp., were recorded throughout the study. The percentage of weight-loss was higher (7.54) in those pulses which were highly infested by pests. Highest pest population was observed during May to June (753). However, Sitotroga cerealella were found only in November to December of the study period. The maximum species richness (7) was observed in Green gram and Chickpeas samples, but the minimum species evenness was observed in Green gram (0.6969) and maximum in Red lentil (0.9886).&#x0D; Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 8(1): 75-82, 2019 (June)

A sticky situation: honeydew of the pear psylla disrupts feeding by its predator Orius sauteri.

Honeydew is valuable food source for predators that can build predator numbers and strengthen biological control. Honeydew excreted by hemipterans often supplements the diets of their predators and parasitoids. However, dense sticky honeydew also creates a difficult foraging environment, potentially limiting predator efficiency. We examined the benefits and costs of honeydew excreted by the pear psylla (Cacopsylla chinensis [Yang and Li]) for its key predator in much of Asia, the anthocorid bug Orius sauteri (Poppius). We found these predators spent more time foraging and laid more eggs in the presence of psyllid honeydew compared to the control. However, predators more often foraged among psylla without honeydew than those coated in honeydew. This suggests that while O. sauteri recognized honeydew as a useful cue to prey presence, the predators were more likely to attack pear psylla lacking the sugary excretion. In foraging trials, honeydew consistently reduced the number of psyllids killed by the predator, suggesting it limited O. sauteri mobility or reduced the nutritional value of psyllids as prey. We also found slowed development, reduced longevity, and reduced fecundity of O. sauteri reared on moth eggs (Sitotroga cerealella [Olivier]) coated in honeydew compared to those reared on moth eggs alone. Altogether, our results suggest that psyllid honeydew could serve as a prey-location and oviposition cue for O. sauteri. However, honeydew also limited predator foraging with the potential to limit biological control. More generally, honeydew might form an important type of defense for stationary feeders like psyllids. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Microwave heating as a post-harvest treatment for white corn (Zea mays) against Sitotroga cerealella

Microwave heating in white corn (Zea mays L.) against Sitotroga cerealella was applied as a post-harvest treatment. Power levels of 293, 390 or 475 W were applied to batches of 250 g until reaching the target temperature of 50 °C in the grain centre and held for 3 min, followed by air-forced cooling during 3.5 min. One batch was left as a control without treatment. Thermocouples and thermal infrared camera were used to know the temperature and evaluate the heating uniformity. Heating times were 56, 40 and 37 s, for 293, 390 and 475 W, respectively, during which 100% of mortality in fourth instar larvae was achieved. The quality of treated white corn was followed throughout moisture content, water activity, bulk density, hardness, colour and germination ability. The proposed microwave treatments were effective for post-harvest corn disinfestation against S. cerealella, without affecting the quality of the grains, especially at 475 W.

Studies on the comparative efficiency of different traps in attracting various storage pests in paddy seed processing units

Experiments were conducted to compare the efficiency of four different kinds of traps namely TNAU insect probe trap, TNAU pit fall trap, Indicator device and Stack probe trap and then indicator device against normal sampling method to collect insects present in processed and stored paddy seeds at a particular time interval. The direct comparison of efficiency of traps in collecting rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae, red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum Herbst, angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella Oliver and lesser grain borer, Rhizopertha dominica Fabricious which are of economic importance on 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days after well processed and sampled seed lots. It was found that maximum number of pests was collected in stack probe trap followed by TNAU insect probe trap before and after fumigation. Among the pests lesser grain borer was collected more followed by angoumois grain moth.

Effect of different cold storage periods of rearing host eggs on the performance of the parasitoid Trichogramma evanescens (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Laboratory experiments were carried out to evaluate the acceptance of Trichogramma evanescens (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) to long and short cold storage periods of the host, the Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella Olivier (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) eggs. The eggs were stored at 5 °C for 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 days, before exposing to the parasitoid. Fecundity, longevity, percentage of adult emergence, sex ratio, and general productivity (GP) were investigated. Storage period to 5 days showed the highest productivity of (28.16 females), with a parasitism efficiency of 85.64%. Increasing storage periods to 10, 15, and 20 days reduced the general productivity of the females to 22.90, 15.00, and 7.75 females, respectively, accompanied by decreased parasitization efficacy values 69.65, 46.62, and 23.57%, respectively. The 30-day storage period decreased sharply the fitness components of Trichogramma females. Generally, the results indicated that the storage period to 5 days was the most favorable.

Diet and growth parameters of the zoophytophagous predator Engytatus varians (Hemiptera: Miridae)

ABSTRACTEngytatus varians (Distant) (Hemiptera: Miridae) was observed to prey on eggs and nymphs of the tomato psyllid Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc.) (Hemiptera: Triozidae) on tomato plants, Solanum lycopersicum L., in Tarímbaro, Michoacán, Mexico, in 2014. In the present study, several growth parameters of this predator were assessed under three different diets (second-third [N2-N3] instars of B. cockerelli + eggs of the grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella Olivier [Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae] + 5% sugar solution; N2-N3 instars of B. cockerelli + S. cerealella eggs; and N2-N3 instars of B. cockerelli alone). In females, among the three diet groups, the group fed N2-N3 instars of B. cockerelli + S. cerealella eggs + 5% sugar solution showed the highest longevity (46.6 ± 2.4 days), probability of survival (100% up to day 26), fecundity (180.5 ± 8.5 eggs/female), oviposition rate (OR, 3.9 ± 0.2 eggs/female/day), intrinsic rate of increase (rm, 0.118 ± 0.0001/female/day), net reproductive rate (R0, 107.8 ± 0.2 female eggs/female), and mean generation time (T, 39.6 ± 0.01 days). Our results indicate that the sugar solution improved the physical conditions and population dynamics of E. varians and that sugar could be used to improve the rearing of this predator.