Thirty-nine field populations of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) were collected from different crops (sweet pepper, tomato, lettuce, artichoke, melon, cucumber, carnation, broad bean, peach and plum) in Murcia (south-east Spain). All populations were reared separately in the laboratory to obtain enough individuals for bioassays. Female thrips were bioassayed, using a standard topical application method, against methiocarb, methamidophos, acrinathrin, endosulfan, deltamethrin and formetanate. Methiocarb was the only insecticide that showed a high efficacy against F occidentalis at field dose rates. Acrinathrin and methamidophos were moderately effective, while endosulfan and deltamethrin were ineffective. Only moderate levels of resistance (Resistance Ratios at LC50 of 10-30) were detected for the selective insecticides methiocarb, formetanate and acrinathrin used against F occidentalis in crops where these insecticides are used intensively. This generalized and low level of resistance to these insecticides, coupled with a lack of efficacy for the three broad-spectrum insecticides, was observed even in intensively managed vegetable crops. Implementation of IPM strategies in Murcia has contributed to more successful insecticide anti-resistance management.

Analysis of an RNA-seq strand-specific library revealed a complete ge-nome of Hardenbergia mosaic virus (HarMV) from RNA extracted from a native wiste-ria (Hardenbergia comptoniana) plant from southwest Australia. We compared it with eight other complete HarMV genomes. It most resembled (85.8% nucleotide identity) the genome of HarMV isolate MD4-D. I n July 2016, an apical leaf sample showing obvious mosaic and deformation symptoms was collected from a plant of the indigenous southwest Australian species native wisteria (Hardenbergia comptoniana; family Fabaceae). The plant sampled also exhibited symptoms typical of phytoplasma infection (leaf chlorosis, proliferation of axillary shoots, and stunting). It was growing on a fence line bordering a playing field area in the Victoria Park suburb of Perth in southwest Australia. Hardenbergia mosaic virus (HarMV; genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae) causes a conspicuous disease in native wisteria plants, is spread nonpersistently by aphids, and, like native wisteria itself, is indigenous to the region (1-5). It invades introduced lupin species (Lupinus spp.) at the interface of the local ancient ecosystem and recent agroecosystem (6, 7). Analysis of polyadenylated transcripts derived from RNAseq-stranded libraries (8-17) prepared from RNA extracted from the collected sample (designated VPK) detected one complete HarMV genome. RNA was extracted from the VPK sample using a ZR Plant RNA MiniPrepTM kit (Zymo Research) and treated with RNase-free DNase (Invitrogen). The extract was subjected to library preparation using a TruSeq-stranded Ribo-Zero plant kit (Illumina, catalog no. RS-122-2401) and was subsequently subjected to quality control (8-17). The library was sent to Macrogen, Inc. (South Korea), where sequencing was done using the HiSeq 2500 platform with a TruSeq SBS version 4 kit (Illumina) with 151 cycles of paired-end reads. Reads were then assembled and genomes annotated using CLC Genomics Workbench version 6.5 (CLC bio) and Geneious version 8.1.7 (Biomatters) (18, 19). The VPK sample yielded 13,609,056 reads and, after trimming, 12,972,958 remained. De novo assembly generated 25 contigs and 622,179 reads mapped to the contig of interest with a coverage of 9,107. The complete genome obtained was named VPK-1. It consisted of 9,621 nucleotides (nt) and coded for 10 proteins, which is similar to other potyviruses (20, 21). There were eight other complete HarMV genomes already in GenBank (3, 7). A BLAST-based search (22) revealed that sequence VPK-1 most resembled the sequence of HarMV isolate MD4-D (KJ152157) with an 85.8% nt identity. In addition, the analysis revealed a partial sequence (6,002 nt in length) named VPK-2,

Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Heteroptera: Miridae) is one of the most controversial dicyphines because of the injuries it causes to tomato (Solanum esculentum) crops. The aim of this study was to quantify the impact of N. tenuis on fruit yield. Tomato plants were exposed to an average of 0.53 +/- 0.26, 3.4 +/- 1.1, 12.0 +/- 1.4, and 35.2 +/- 7.7 N. tenuis per plant for 3 wk. When fruit were exposed to N. tenuis as flowers, the percentage of aborted fruit was higher in compartments infested with N. tenuis, and this was related directly to the cumulative number of N. tenuis (CNN). However, compartments with the highest abortion rates had heavier and bigger fruit and were not significantly different from the controls. The variation in fruit weight was satisfactorily explained with a logistic equation in relation to the proportion of aborted fruit. To estimate the density thresholds, the variation in truss weight was predicted as a function of fruit weight and aborted fruit. The two latter variables were expressed as a function of the CNN. A maximum of 15% truss weight overcompensation was predicted at 15.8% of fruit abortion. Yield reduction was predicted at fruit abortion rates > or = 27.7%, which corresponded to 566 CNN per plant or 32.11 CNN per leaf. N. tenuis may be considered a useful predator of small pests in tomato crops if kept under these thresholds. Mathematical models predict a yield increase and fruit upgrade that overcompensates for the reduction in the number of fruit below the density threshold.