THE EGG AND OVIPOSITION SITE OF DERAEOCORIS NEBULOSUS(HEMIPTERA: MIRIDAE) ON APPLE TREES

The predaceous mirid Deraeocoris nebulosus(Uhler) is found on more than 50 species of ornamental trees and shrubs where it feeds on several important pest species (Wheeler et al.1975). It is a common mite and aphid predator in commercial apple orchards in Virginia (Parrella et al.1978). Wheeler et al.(1975) described the nymphal stages and biology, but made no mention of the egg or oviposition site. We describe the egg and oviposition site which we discovered while studying various predators of the European red mite, Panonychus ulmi(Koch), in Virginia apple orchards. Eggs and oviposition sites of other predaceous mirids associated with apple have been described (Kullenberg 1942; Collyer 1952, 1953; Sanford 1964; Horsburgh and Asquith 1968, 1970).