Macrolophus pygmaeus, a predatory mirid used to manage greenhouse whitefly, was illegally imported into New Zealand, and for a time was reared and sold to commercial tomato growers. We designed and implemented a risk-based detection survey to determine whetherM. pygmaeuswas still present in New Zealand a decade later. The survey was designed to have an 80% chance of detecting a single low density (0.05 per lineal metre of host plants) population within 1 km of known points of introduction. The survey was implemented between 8 and 15 March 2018. Local habitat constraints meant that the planned sampling had to be modified but this was accounted for in the subsequent analysis. NoM. pygmaeuswere found in the samples, but 93 specimens from seven other mirid taxa were detected, validating the sample methods. The survey gives 60% confidence thatM. pygmaeuswas not present at a mean density of 0.05 per lineal metre of habitat. It gives 80% confidence that a population at 0.1 m−1was not present and 90% confidence that no population exists at >0.18 m−1. Though there are no published data on typical field population densities ofM. pygmaeus, for related species the survey would have had high confidence in detecting any medium to high density population present. Therefore, it is likely thatM. pygmaeusis no longer present in New Zealand, but if extant within the sampled areas then we have high certainty that it was at low densities compared to other predaceous mirids.

中文翻译：

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新西兰捕食性 miridMacrolophus pygmaeusin 基于风险的检测调查

侏儒巨猿一种用于管理温室粉虱的掠食性紫蠹，被非法进口到新西兰，并一度被饲养并出售给商业番茄种植者。我们设计并实施了一项基于风险的检测调查，以确定是否M. pygmaeus十年后仍然存在于新西兰。该调查旨在有 80% 的机会在已知引入点 1 公里范围内检测到单个低密度（每直线米寄主植物 0.05 个）种群。该调查于 2018 年 3 月 8 日至 15 日实施。当地栖息地的限制意味着必须修改计划的采样，但这在随后的分析中得到了考虑。不M. pygmaeus在样本中发现了 93 个标本，来自其他 7 个 mirid 类群，验证了样本方法。该调查给出了 60% 的信心M. pygmaeus没有以每直线米栖息地0.05的平均密度存在。它给出了 80% 的置信度，即 0.1 m 的人口-1不存在且 90% 的置信度认为在 >0.18 m 处不存在种群-1. 虽然没有关于典型田间种群密度的公开数据M. pygmaeus，对于相关物种，调查将有很高的信心检测到任何中高密度种群存在。因此，很可能M. pygmaeus不再存在于新西兰，但如果在采样区域内存在，那么我们可以确定它与其他捕食者相比密度较低。