Insectary Plants Improve the Settlement of Orius laevigatus in Greenhouses

Insectary plants are used to attract and boost the multiplication of beneficial arthropods, improving biological control in greenhouses. Three insectary plants were selected for this study: alyssum (Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv.), yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.), and dill (Anethum graveolens L.). This study was performed in two years, 2021 and 2025, and focused on Orius laevigatus (Fieber) (Hemiptera, Anthocoridae), one of the most im-portant predators of Thysanoptera pests in greenhouse crops. Four ornamental crops were included to analyse the movement and installation of the predator. Alyssum and yarrow housed O. laevigatus in both years (with total mean values per sampling date of 3.0±1.3 and 2.7±1.0 on alyssum and 7.0±2.8 and 1.8±0.8 on yarrow in 2021 and 2025 re-spectively), increasing its population in the greenhouse. In contrast, dill was unsuitable to settle populations of the predator but attracted other potential pests, with the addi-tional disadvantage of its short blooming period and quick decline. Orius laevigatus adults did not show great mobility during the study, and it had small populations among the ornamental crops in the greenhouse. The ornamental plant statice (Limonium sinuatum (L.) Mill.) had the highest population of the predator.