scholarly journals Laboratory Rearing and Sex Ratio of Apanteles opuntiarum (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a Potential Biocontrol Agent of Cactoblastis cactorum (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 216 ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 146 (6) ◽  
pp. 676-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Tormos ◽  
B. Sabater-Muñoz ◽  
J.D. Asís ◽  
F. Beitia

AbstractSpalangia cameroniPerkins (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is a pupal parasitoid of the Medfly,Ceratitis capitata(Wiedmann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), one of the principal pests of Spanish agriculture.Spalangia cameroniis a potential biocontrol agent for this pest if methods can be developed to mass-rear it effectively onC. capitata. Here, we report on the use of freeze-killed pupae ofC. capitatato maintain a laboratory colony ofS. cameroni, with a view to setting up a mass-rearing protocol. Realised fecundity, adult progeny, sex ratio, and superparasitism level were the principal parameters analysed. No significant differences were found in respect of these parameters between living or freeze-killed Medfly pupae used as hosts, although sex ratios showed a bias towards females in the case of freeze-killed pupae. Freeze-killed pupae were concluded to present the best option for the laboratory-rearing ofS. cameroni, on account of ease of rearing, and avoidance of the emergence of Medfly adults.


2015 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 803-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Varone ◽  
Guillermo Logarzo ◽  
Juan José Martínez ◽  
Fernando Navarro ◽  
James E. Carpenter ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 68 ◽  
pp. 446-446
Author(s):  
D.J. Wilson ◽  
P.J. Gerard

Spiny snout mite (Neomolgus capillatus) is a potential biocontrol agent for clover flea (Sminthurus viridis) a white clover pest on dairy farms in warmer and wetter parts of New Zealand In the 1990s this mite was introduced from Brittany France into Tasmania for clover flea control Results during the release programme were highly promising and subsequent anecdotal farmer reports indicate widespread decreases in damage As N capillatus is a predatory mite and already known to attack nontarget organisms habitat specificity will determine whether it could be introduced into New Zealand without risk to native insects To assess this pastures on nine of the original Tasmanian release farms and adjacent nontarget habitats ranging from bush wetlands eucalypt stands to sand dune country were sampled in April 2014 Litter samples were collected heat extracted and mite species identified Neomolgus capillatus was found at effective densities in pastures that had good clover cover Where present it displaced Bdellodes spp mites that are ineffective against clover flea No N capillatus were found in the nontarget habitats all of which lacked clover and contained other predatory mites including Bdellodes spp Therefore the preference by N capillatus for lush pastures makes it an excellent prospect for introduction as a biocontrol agent into clover flea prone regions of New Zealand


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abeysinghe Mudiyanselage Prabodha Sammani ◽  
Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Saman Kumara Dissanayaka ◽  
Leanage Kanaka Wolly Wijayaratne ◽  
William Robert Morrison

Abstract The almond moth Cadra cautella (Walker), a key pest of storage facilities, is difficult to manage using synthetic chemicals. Pheromone-based management methods remain a high priority due to advantages over conventional management practices, which typically use insecticides. Cadra cautella females release a blend of pheromone including (Z, E)-9,12-tetradecadienyl acetate (ZETA) and (Z)-9-tetradecadien-1-yl acetate (ZTA). The effect of these components on mating of C. cautella and how response varies with the population density and sex ratio remain unknown. In this study, the mating status of C. cautella was studied inside mating cages under different ratios of ZETA and ZTA diluted in hexane and at different population sizes either with equal or unequal sex ratio. The lowest percentage of mated females (highest mating disruption [MD] effects), corresponding to roughly 12.5%, was produced by a 5:1 and 3.3:1 ratio of ZETA:ZTA. Populations with equal sex ratio showed the lowest percentage of mated females, at 20% and 12.5% under lower and higher density, respectively. The next lowest percentage of mated females was produced when the sex ratio was set to 1: 2 and 2:1 male:female, with just 25% and 22.5% of moths mated, respectively. This study shows that mating status of C. cautella is influenced by ZETA:ZTA ratio, sex ratio, and population size. This current knowledge would have useful implications for mating disruption programs.


Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 664
Author(s):  
Ewa Puchalska ◽  
Stanisław Kamil Zagrodzki ◽  
Marcin Kozak ◽  
Brian G. Rector ◽  
Anna Mauer

Development, survival and reproduction of Ambyseius andersoni (Chant), a predatory mite widely distributed in Europe, were assessed on different food items. These included two key pests of ornamental coniferous plants, i.e., Oligonychus ununguis (Jacobi) and Pentamerismus taxi (Haller) and pollen of Pinus sylvestris L. The rationale behind these experiments was to provide a preliminary assessment of the potential of A. andersoni as a biocontrol agent of the above phytophagous arthropods and evaluate pine pollen as an alternative food source for the predator. Under laboratory conditions (23 ± 0.5 °C, 70 ± 10% RH and 16L:8D) A. andersoni was able to feed, develop and reproduce on all tested diets. The shortest development time (egg to female) was obtained when the predator fed on P. taxi (mean = 5.12 d) and the longest was on pine pollen (mean = 6.55 d). The rm value was significantly higher on both tested prey (0.166 on P. taxi and 0.160 on O. ununguis) than on pollen (0.139). Thus, we do not recommend pine pollen for mass rearing of A. andersoni; however, we conclude that pollen may provide sufficient sustenance for the predator population under field conditions when prey are absent. The potential of A. andersoni as a biocontrol agent of O. ununguis and P. taxi is discussed.


2006 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1469-1476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert R. Heath ◽  
Peter E. A. Teal ◽  
Nancy D. Epsky ◽  
Barbara D. Dueben ◽  
Stephen D. Hight ◽  
...  

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