scholarly journals Chemical Cues Induced from Fly-Oviposition Mediate the Host-Seeking Behaviour of Fopius arisanus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), an Effective Egg Parasitoid of Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae), within a Tritrophic Context

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 231
Author(s):  
Pumo Cai ◽  
Yunzhe Song ◽  
Da Huo ◽  
Jia Lin ◽  
Huameng Zhang ◽  
...  

Fopius arisanus is a solitary endoparasitoid that parasitizes a variety of tephritid species. Native to the Indo-Australian region, it is currently exploited worldwide as a biological control agent due to its exceptional efficiency in reducing pest populations. The efficiency of any biological control program is affected by the host location ability of the parasitoids. The present study used a Y-tube olfactometer to test the behavioural responses of female F. arisanus to four fruit species which had undergone different types of damages: undamaged, damaged through Bactrocera dorsalis ovipositioning (i.e., infested), or different levels of mechanical damage. Our results suggest that F. arisanus females were significantly attracted to mangoes and pears (vs. purified air), regardless of their condition; however, whilst infested mangoes did not attract more female parasitoids compared to healthy or mechanically damaged fruits, infested pears attracted significantly more. For citrus fruits and peaches, oviposition damage caused them to be more attractive to parasitoid females. In terms of the longevity of the effects, infested mango fruits remained attractive for up to 5 days after infestation, whereas for infested peaches, pears, and citrus fruits, the attractiveness tended to decrease as time passed. Regarding mechanical damage, mango fruits that had undergone any intensity of damage were equally attractive to parasitoid females; however, peach and citrus fruits with high levels of mechanical damage were more attractive, and pears were found to be most attractive with slight mechanical damage. Additional to the above, we also tested the effect of insecticides on behavioural responses using mangoes. We found that the treatment of infested fruits with lambda-cyhalothrin and cypermethrin remained attractive to F. arisanus females, albeit to different extents, which is in contrast to spinosad, cyantraniliprole, and acetamiprid. Finally, we suggest that the host-searching behaviour of F. arisanus females is mainly mediated by oviposition-induced volatiles, either emitted from the fruit or left by the fruit fly.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3533-3540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kim B. Ferguson ◽  
Tore Kursch-Metz ◽  
Eveline C. Verhulst ◽  
Bart A. Pannebakker

Trichogramma brassicae (Bezdenko) are egg parasitoids that are used throughout the world as biological control agents and in laboratories as model species. Despite this ubiquity, few genetic resources exist beyond COI, ITS2, and RAPD markers. Aided by a Wolbachia infection, a wild-caught strain from Germany was reared for low heterozygosity and sequenced in a hybrid de novo strategy, after which several assembling strategies were evaluated. The best assembly, derived from a DBG2OLC-based pipeline, yielded a genome of 235 Mbp made up of 1,572 contigs with an N50 of 556,663 bp. Following a rigorous ab initio-, homology-, and evidence-based annotation, 16,905 genes were annotated and functionally described. As an example of the utility of the genome, a simple ortholog cluster analysis was performed with sister species T. pretiosum, revealing over 6000 shared clusters and under 400 clusters unique to each species. The genome and transcriptome presented here provides an essential resource for comparative genomics of the commercially relevant genus Trichogramma, but also for research into molecular evolution, ecology, and breeding of T. brassicae.


2017 ◽  
Vol 108 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q. Li ◽  
S.V. Triapitsyn ◽  
C. Wang ◽  
W. Zhong ◽  
H.-Y. Hu

AbstractThe flee-weevil Orchestes steppensis Korotyaev (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a steppe eastern Palaearctic species, notable as a serious pest of elms (Ulmus spp., Ulmaceae), by feeding on the leaves (adults) or mining them heavily (larvae), especially of Ulmus pumila L. in Xinjiang, China. We have corrected the previous misidentifications of this weevil in China as O. alni (L.) or O. mutabilis Boheman and demonstrated that it is likely to be an invasive species in Xinjiang. Prior to this study, natural enemies of O. steppensis were unknown in Xinjiang. Resulting from field investigation and rearing in the laboratory during 2013–2016, seven parasitoid species were found to be primary and solitary, attacking larval and pupal stages of the host weevil. Pteromalus sp. 2 is the dominant species and also is the most competitive among the seven parasitoids, which could considered to be a perspective biological control agent of O. steppensis. Yet, the current control of this pest by the local natural enemies in Xinjiang is still currently inefficient, even though in 2016 parasitism was about 36% on U. pumila in Urumqi, so the potential for a classical biological control program against it needs to be further investigated, including an assessment of its parasitoids and other natural enemies in the native range of O. steppensis. The presented information on the natural enemies of this weevil can be also important for a potential classical biological control program against it in North America (Canada and USA), where it is a highly damaging and rapidly spreading invasive species.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. B. Ferguson ◽  
T. Kursch-Metz ◽  
E. C. Verhulst ◽  
B. A. Pannebakker

ABSTRACTTrichogramma brassicae (Bezdenko) are egg parasitoids that are used throughout the world as biological control agents and in laboratories as model species. Despite this ubiquity, few genetic resources exist beyond COI, ITS2, and RAPD markers. Aided by a Wolbachia infection, a wild-caught strain from Germany was reared for low heterozygosity and sequenced in a hybrid de novo strategy, after which several assembling strategies were evaluated. The best assembly, derived from a DBG2OLC-based pipeline, yielded a genome of 235 Mbp made up of 1,572 contigs with an N50 of 556,663 bp. Following a rigorous ab initio-, homology-, and evidence-based annotation, 16,905 genes were annotated and functionally described. As an example of the utility of the genome, a simple ortholog cluster analysis was performed with sister species T. pretiosum, revealing over 6000 shared clusters and under 400 clusters unique to each species. The genome and transcriptome presented here provides an essential resource for comparative genomics of the commercially relevant genus Trichogramma, but also for research into molecular evolution, ecology, and breeding of T. brassicae.


EDIS ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Diaz ◽  
Julio Medal ◽  
Kenneth Hibbard ◽  
Amy Roda ◽  
A. Fox ◽  
...  

Tropical soda apple is a prickly shrub native to South America. First reported in Glades Co., Florida in 1988, it later spread to Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina. It is a major problem in pastures and conservation areas. Negative impacts of tropical soda apple include reduction of cattle stocking rates, competition with native plants, and the costs associated with its control. Dense thickets of the weed also can disrupt the movement of wildlife. This 4-page fact sheet provides a summary of the major steps of the successful biological control program against tropical soda apple in Florida. The article covers the importance of the weed, identification and biology of the biological control agent, rearing and release efforts, establishment and impact, and efforts to communicate the outcomes of the program to stakeholders. Written by R. Diaz, J. Medal, K. Hibbard, A. Roda, A. Fox, S. Hight, P. Stansly, B. Sellers, J. Cuda and W. A. Overholt, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, November 2012. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in971


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 94
Author(s):  
DWI ADI SUNARTO ◽  
NURINDAH NURINDAH ◽  
SUJAK SUJAK

<p>ABSTRAK<br />Pectinophora gossypiella merupakan salah satu hama utama<br />tanaman kapas yang menyerang dengan cara menggerek buah. Mulai<br />stadia larva kecil hingga pupa berada di dalam buah. Perilaku tersebut<br />menjadi salah satu sebab kurang efektifnya beberapa cara pengendalian P.<br />gossypiella dengan sasaran stadia larva. Untuk itu, peluang yang<br />diharapkan akan memberikan hasil pengendalian yang lebih baik adalah<br />sasaran pada stadia telur yaitu antara lain pemanfaatan parasitoid telur.<br />Dari hasil eksplorasi telah diperoleh parasitoid telur Trichogrammatidae<br />yang berasal dari pertanaman kapas di Lamongan dan Asembagus, Jawa<br />Timur. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi spesies parasitoid<br />telur P. gossypiella dan kapasitas reproduksinya. Penelitian ini<br />dilaksanakan di Balai Penelitian Tanaman Tembakau dan Serat Malang<br />pada bulan Maret - Desember 2002. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa<br />parasitoid telur Trichogrammatidae yang muncul dari telur P. gossypiella<br />yang berasal dari kedua lokasi, berasal dari spesies yang sama dan berbeda<br />dengan spesies T. armigera yang memarasit telur H. armigera.<br />Berdasarkan kapasitas reproduksinya, Trichogrammatoidea bactrae N &amp; N<br />berpotensi sebagai agens hayati pengendali ulat penggerek buah kapas<br />merah jambu P. gossypiella.<br />Kata kunci : Kapas,  Gossypium  hirsutum,  hama,  Pectinophora<br />gossypiella,  parasitoid  telur,  Trichogrammatidae,  laju<br />pertumbuhan</p><p><br />ABSTRACT<br />Identification and reproduction capacity test of egg<br />parasitoid pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella<br />Saunders on cotton<br />Pectinophora gossypiella is one of main pests of cotton. It attacks<br />the boll since small larvae until pupae and the insect is located in the boll.<br />This could be the reason why any control actions targeted to the larvae<br />were not effective. Therefore, the use of egg parasitoid to control the<br />bollworm population would be more promising. Exploration of the egg<br />parasitoid of the bollworm was done in Lamongan and Asembagus, East<br />Java. The parasitoids were considered as new locality report. This study<br />was to identify egg parasitoid of P. gossypiella and to study their<br />reproduction capacity. The study was conducted in Biological Control<br />Laboratory of IToFCRI Malang, March – December 2002. The study<br />included identification morphologically and biosystematically. The results<br />showed that Trichogrammatid emerged from P. gossypiella egg collected<br />from Asembagus (Trichogrammatoidea sp-A) and Lamongan (Trichogra-<br />mmatoidea sp-L) were the same species. Based on the reproduction<br />capacity of the parasitoids, Trichogrammatoidea bactrae N &amp; N were<br />potential as biological control agent for P. gossypiella.<br />Key words : Cotton,  Gossypium  hirsutum,  pest,  Pectinophora<br />gossypiella, egg parasitoid, Trichogrammatidae, intrinsic<br />rate</p>


2021 ◽  
Vol 87 ◽  
pp. 503-521
Author(s):  
Sarah Birkmire ◽  
Cory Penca ◽  
Elijah J. Talamas ◽  
Matthew R. Moore ◽  
Amanda C. Hodges

Psix striaticeps (Dodd) is an egg-parasitoid wasp previously known only from the Old World. We report this species from twelve counties in Florida, which are the first records in the Western Hemisphere. It was collected in yellow cylinder traps and reared from the eggs of three stink bug species: Nezara viridula L., Chinavia marginata (Palisot de Beauvois), and Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood). A COI barcode analysis found a 100% match between the Floridian population and a specimen from South Africa. The prospects of using Ps. striaticeps as a biological control agent against exotic stink bugs are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 65 ◽  
pp. 111-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Ganjisaffar ◽  
Elijah J. Talamas ◽  
Marie-Claude Bon ◽  
Brian V. Brown ◽  
Lisa Gonzalez ◽  
...  

TrissolcushyalinipennisRajmohana &amp; Narendran is an Old World egg parasitoid ofBagradahilaris(Burmeister). Its potential as a classical biological control agent in the United States has been under evaluation in quarantine facilities since 2014. A survey of resident egg parasitoids using fresh sentinelB.hilariseggs in Riverside, California, revealed thatT.hyalinipennisis present in the wild. Four cards with parasitized eggs were recovered, from which one yielded a single liveT.hyalinipennisand two unidentified dead wasps (Scelionidae), and three yielded twenty liveTrissolcusbasalis(Wollaston) and one dead wasp. Subsequently, samples from Burbank, California, collected with a Malaise trap as part of the BioSCAN project, yielded five females ofT.hyalinipennis. It is presumed that the introduction ofT.hyalinipennisto this area was accidental. Surveys will be continued to evaluate the establishment ofT.hyalinipennisas well as the presence of other resident parasitoid species.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucrezia Giovannini ◽  
Giuseppino Sabbatini-Peverieri ◽  
Leonardo Marianelli ◽  
Gabriele Rondoni ◽  
Eric Conti ◽  
...  

Abstract The invasive stink bug Halyomorpha halys is a severe agricultural pest of worldwide importance, and chemical insecticides are largely sprayed for the control of its populations. Negative impacts and several failures in chemical pest management led to consider classical biological control as one of the most promising methods in a long-term perspective. The Asian egg parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus is the main candidate biocontrol agent of H. halys, but more recently a second Asian egg parasitoid, Trissolcus mitsukurii, is getting attention after adventive populations were found on H. halys egg masses in Europe. Before recommending the use of T. mitsukurii for biological control of H. halys, a risk analysis is necessary and therefore here we present the first study on the fundamental physiological host range of this parasitoid in Europe. Tests conducted with T. mitsukurii on different hemipterans, using three different experimental designs, revealed a broad physiological host range, comparable with the host range displayed by T. japonicus under similar laboratory conditions. Specifically, in addition to its coevolved host H. halys, T. mitsukurii successfully parasitized the majority of tested pentatomid species and one scutellerid, although with highly variable emergence rates. Host egg sizes positively affected parasitoid size and female egg load. Further studies, testing more complex systems that involve olfactory cues from host and host plants, will simulate different aspects of the parasitoid host location behavior under field conditions, allowing in-depth evaluation of the possible risks associated with the use of T. mitsukurii as a biocontrol agent of H. halys.


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