Biological control of the Asian citrus psyllid in California

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Asian Citrus Psyllid

scholarly journals Parasitoid vectors a plant pathogen, potentially diminishing the benefits it confers as a biological control agent

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang-Fei Guo ◽  
Muhammad Z. Ahmed ◽  
Da Ou ◽  
Li-He Zhang ◽  
Zi-Tong Lu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Plant Pathogen ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Asian Citrus Psyllid ◽  
Infection Status ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Rational Application ◽  
Liberibacter Asiaticus ◽  
Citrus Leaves

AbstractHuanglongbing (HLB) is a destructive disease of citrus primarily transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). Biocontrol of ACP is an environmentally sustainable alternative to chemicals. However, the risk of parasitoid rational application in ACP biocontrol has never been evaluated. Here we show, the dominant parasitoid of ACP, Tamarixia radiata, can acquire the HLB pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) and transmit it horizontally when probing ACP nymphs. If these ACP nymphs survive the probing, develop to adults and move to healthy plants, CLas can be transmitted to citrus leaves during feeding. We illustrate the formerly unrecognized risk that a parasitoid can potentially serve as a phoretic vector of the pathogen transmitted by its host, thus potentially diminishing some of the benefits it confers via biocontrol. Our findings present a significant caution to the strategy of using parasitoids in orchards with different infection status of insect-vectored pathogens.

Competition between honeydew producers in an ant–hemipteran interaction may enhance biological control of an invasive pest

2013 ◽  
Vol 103 (6) ◽  
pp. 714-723 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Tena ◽  
C.D. Hoddle ◽  
M.S. Hoddle
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Linepithema Humile ◽  
Argentine Ant ◽  
Invasive Pest ◽  
Asian Citrus Psyllid ◽  
Bacterial Disease ◽  
Diaphorina Citri ◽  
Mutualistic Relationship ◽  
Established Species

AbstractAsian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), is an invasive citrus pest in southern California, which secretes honeydew and has the potential to spread a lethal bacterial disease, huanglongbing, of citrus. In urban citrus, Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), also an invasive pest, tends honeydew-producing hemipterans. We used field data to determine whether the mutualistic relationship between L. humile and six established species of honeydew producers may hinder or favor the establishment of D. citri and its biological control with Tamarixia radiata (Waterston) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in citrus via competition or mutualism for ants, respectively. In the field, L. humile and D. citri are engaged in a mutualistic relationship. Ants harvest solid honeydew secreted by psyllid nymphs and tended more than 55% of observed D. citri colonies. Linepithema humile displayed a preference hierarchy when tending honeydew producers infesting citrus. It responded equally or less intensively to D. citri than to other honeydew-producing species. Consequently, the mutualism between L. humile and D. citri was affected by the presence of other honeydew-producing species, and the percentage of D. citri colonies tended by L. humile. The number of ants per D. citri colony also decreased as the number of other honeydew producers increased. Diaphorina citri density was also affected by the presence of other honeydew producers. Both colony size and the number of D. citri nymphs counted per tree decreased as the number of other honeydew producers increased. Our results indicate that competition between honeydew producers for the mutualist ant L. humile may hinder the establishment of D. citri by possibly facilitating increased biological control.

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