scholarly journals Host Patch Use and Potential Competitive Interactions Between Two Egg Parasitoids From the Family Scelionidae, Candidate Biological Control Agents of Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Author(s):  
Evelyne Hougardy ◽  
Brian N Hogg

Abstract Two egg parasitoids from Pakistan, Gryon sp. nr. gonikopalense Sharma (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and Trissolcus hyalinipennis Rajmohana & Narendran (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), are currently being investigated as potential classical biocontrol agents for Bagrada hilaris Burmeister. The former is the most promising because of its ability to attack B. hilaris eggs in soil, but the latter was recently discovered in California. This study detailed the patch use and oviposition behavior of both species and assessed their relative foraging efficiency. We also investigated possible competitive interactions by assessing 1) the occurrence of intra- and interspecific host discrimination, 2) mutual interference between females (extrinsic competition), 3) the outcome of multiparasitism (intrinsic competition), and 4) the effect of competition on host suppression. Our results showed that T. hyalinipennis females tended to probe repeatedly in the same hosts leading to longer host patch time and lower foraging efficiency. Both species avoided conspecific superparasitism, but not multiparasitism. When the two species foraged simultaneously, G. sp. nr. gonikopalense seemed to be slightly superior in extrinsic competition, while neither species seemed to have an advantage in intrinsic competition. Also, neither species could develop as a facultative hyperparasitoid, but they inflicted non-reproductive mortality on eggs containing 4-d-old larvae of their competitor. Lastly, host mortality inflicted by G. sp. nr. gonikopalense and T. hyalinipennis when acting together appeared to be additive. These results suggest that the presence of T. hyalinipennis in California is unlikely to reduce G. sp. nr. gonikopalense efficiency, but will instead improve the biological control of B. hilaris.

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 787
Author(s):  
Giuseppino Sabbatini-Peverieri ◽  
Christine Dieckhoff ◽  
Lucrezia Giovannini ◽  
Leonardo Marianelli ◽  
Pio Federico Roversi ◽  
...  

Halyomorpha halys is a severe agricultural pest of Asian origin that has invaded many countries throughout the world. Pesticides are currently the favored control methods, but as a consequence of their frequent use, often disrupt Integrated Pest Management. Biological control with egg parasitoids is seen as the most promising control method over the long-term. Knowledge of the reproductive biology under laboratory conditions of the most effective candidates (Trissolcus japonicus and Trissolcus mitsukurii) for optimizing production for field releases is strongly needed. Rearing of these egg parasitoids was tested by offering three different host supply regimes using new emerged females and aged, host-deprived females in different combinations. Results showed a mean progeny per female ranging from 80 to 85 specimens for T. japonicus and from 63 to 83 for T. mitsukurii. Sex ratios were strongly female biased in all combinations and emergence rates exceeded 94% overall. Cumulative curves showed that longer parasitization periods beyond 10–14 days (under the adopted rearing regimes) will not lead to a significantly increase in progeny production. However, ageing females accumulate eggs in their ovaries that can be quickly laid if a sufficient number of host eggs are supplied, thus optimizing host resources. Our data showed that offering H. halys egg masses to host-deprived female Trissolcus once a week for three weeks allowed its eggs to accumulate in the ovary, providing the greatest number of offspring within a three week span.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 696-698
Author(s):  
Asha Renjith ◽  
Payal Lodha

Piper nigrum Linn. (Black pepper)  belongs to the family Piperaceae and an economically and medicinally important spice and is a native of Southern India. Leaf marginal gall is transmitted by Liothrips karnyi belonging to family Phlaeothripidae of order Thysanoptera (Thrips). Insect induced galls arise due to growth reaction of plants due to the attack of cecidozoa, also known as zoocecidia. The growth and development of the host plant alter due to the infestation of the insect, which involves certain complex phenomena. The different groups of cecidozoa influence the plants in such a way as to produce galls at different stages in their life history. Most of the cecidozoa cause galls only in their developmental stages, but some of them are capable of inducing galls both in larval as well as adult stages. The crop production in India has been adversely affected due to the infestation of pests. And it is necessary to use different approaches of disease management to curb the infestation, and significant researchers have shown progress to protect the crops in an eco-friendly manner. Piperine exhibits diverse pharmacological activities like antihypertensive, antiplatelets, antioxidant, antitumor, antipyretic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-reproductive, insecticidal activities. In the present investigation, the biological method of disease management of marginal leaf gall transmitted by Liothrips karnyi has been undertaken. The biological control of leaf diseases has been significant on the increased reflection of environmental problems over pesticide uses.


2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 171-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling-Ying Shuai ◽  
Yan-Ling Song ◽  
Burt P. Kotler ◽  
Keren Embar ◽  
Zhi-Gao Zeng

We studied the foraging behaviour of two sympatric rodents (Meriones meridianus and Dipus sagitta) in the Gobi Desert, Northwestern China. The role of the foraging behaviour in promoting species coexistence was also examined. We used giving-up densities (GUDs) in artificial food patches to measure the patch use of rodents and video trapping to directly record the foraging behaviour, vigilance, and interspecific interactions. Three potential mechanisms of coexistence were evaluated (1) microhabitat partitioning; (2) spatial heterogeneity of resource abundance with a tradeoff in foraging efficiency vs. locomotion; and (3) temporal partitioning on a daily scale. Compared to M. meridianus, D. sagitta generally possessed lower GUDs, spent more time on patches, and conducted more visits per tray per capita, regardless of microhabitat. However, M. meridianus possessed advantages in average harvesting rates and direct interference against D. sagitta. Our results only partly support the third mechanism listed above. We propose another potential mechanism of coexistence: a tradeoff between interference competition and safety, with M. meridianus better at interference competition and D. sagitta better at avoiding predation risk. This mechanism is uncommon in previously studied desert rodent systems.


EUGENIA ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W. Tairas ◽  
Max Tulung ◽  
Jantje Pelealu

ABSTRACT The potential of biological control using natural enemies locally has a huge opportunity, therefore, carried out a study in order to determine the types of natural enemies of both predators, parasitoids and pathogens on the mealybug P. marginatus live in papaya plants in North Minahasa area. The study found that in Minahasa north, there are natural enemies comprised of predators, pathogens and parasitoids, among others, Chilocorus sp. Scymnus sp. (Coleoptera), Oecophylla smaragdina and some of the family Formicidae (Hymenoptera), earwig (Dermaptera), mites (Acari) and Tetragnatha sp, Tetragnatidae; Plexippus sp. Telamonia sp; Lycosidae (Aranea). At the parasitoid was found only Acerophagus papayae, family Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera), while natural enemies of pathogen is Fungus Keywords : P. marginatus, mealybugs, natural enemies, predators, parasitoid and pathogen


1995 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 374-374
Author(s):  
Andrew Polaszek

2019 ◽  
Vol 73 ◽  
pp. 153-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Tortorici ◽  
Elijah J. Talamas ◽  
Silvia T. Moraglio ◽  
Marco G. Pansa ◽  
Maryam Asadi-Farfar ◽  
...  

Accurate identification of parasitoids is crucial for biological control of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomrpha halys (Stål). A recent work by Talamas et al. (2017) revised the Palearctic fauna of Trissolcus Ashmead, egg-parasitoids of stink bugs, and treated numerous species as junior synonyms of T. semistriatus (Nees von Esenbeck). In the present paper, we provide a detailed taxonomic history and treatment of T. semistriatus and the species treated as its synonyms by Talamas et al. (2017) based on examination of primary types, molecular analyses and mating experiments. Trissolcus semistriatus, T. belenus (Walker), T. colemani (Crawford), and T. manteroi (Kieffer) are here recognized as valid and a key to species is provided. The identification tools provided here will facilitate the use of Trissolcus wasps as biological control agents and as the subject of ecological studies.


2021 ◽  

Abstract Within Hymenoptera, the superfamily Chalcidoidea (chalcidoid wasps) is the second largest superfamily after Ichneumonoidea. Because of the preponderance of parasitoid species, Chalcidoidea is one of the most important groups in applied biological control. This book provides a comprehensive, accurate checklists for the chalcidoid fauna of Iran. The species listed in each family chapter include all the species recorded in the literature from Iran through 2019, with one exception as noted in Chapter 10 (Eurytomidae). Each family chapter includes differential characters to distinguish the family, hypothesized phylogenetic relationships with other families, and general biological attributes of the family. Previous cataloguing efforts of the Iranian fauna for the family are summarized, as well as the information included in the checklist of species for the family. This summary information includes the number of species recorded from Iran, any newly recorded species, a comparison of the Iranian fauna with those of adjacent countries, and major host attributes of the family in Iran. Also included for each species record are host records and plant associates in Iran, when known, and additional comments as necessary. The final chapter tabulates the species diversity of Iranian Chalcidoidea by family, the species newly exclude from Iran, the species presently considered as endemic to Iran and the number of species of each family that are known from each of the 31 provinces that comprise Iran. Because of the importance of chalcidoids for biological control of pests in Iran, host information for parasitoid species that is provided throughout the chapters is synthesized in an Appendix at the end of the book.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document