Establishment of Platygaster tuberosula, an introduced parasitoid of the wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana

2003 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Olfert ◽  
J.F. Doane ◽  
M.P. Braun

AbstractWheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), was first detected as early as 1901 in Western Canada. The first major outbreak in Saskatchewan was recorded in 1983. In 1984, Saskatchewan wheat midge populations were found to be parasitized by the egg parasitoid Macroglenes penetrans (Kirby). Parasitism levels vary from year to year but, on average, 33% of wheat midge populations are parasitized by M. penetrans. In 1993 and 1994, Agriculture Canada and the International Institute of Biological Control in Delémont, Switzerland, collaborated to release Platygaster tuberosula Kieffer into Saskatchewan to augment biological control of wheat midge. Platygaster tuberosula individuals were recovered at low numbers in follow-up monitoring programs in each of the last 5 years. In 2001, the parasitoid population density increased fivefold at the release site and showed signs of migrating into the surrounding area.

2004 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian L. Wise ◽  
Robert J. Lamb

AbstractThe requirements for successful diapause of field-collected larvae and emergence of the adult wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin), and its egg parasitoid Macroglenes penetrans (Kirby) were investigated in the laboratory. Both species showed little decline in survival for up to 5 weeks at 20 °C in dry wheat spikes and could successfully diapause in wheat spikes at 0 °C for at least 200 d, although larvae usually drop to the soil to diapause. Both species diapaused successfully in clay loam and fine quartz sand, but survival was lower in vermiculite or coarse activated clay. Diapause was completed successfully at soil temperatures of −5 to 2.5 °C, and both species survived for at least 500 d at 2.5 °C with no increase in mortality. Larval survival declined after 120 d at −10 °C. Usually more than 95% of all surviving wheat midges emerged as adults after a single diapause period of 100 d or more, but up to 5% of wheat midges and 12%−57% of parasitoids did not emerge until they were exposed to a second cold period. Postdiapausal larvae pupated and adult wheat midges emerged at constant temperatures of 16, 20, 26, and 28 °C with no differences in mortality, although none emerged at 10 °C. The timing of wheat midge emergence was temperature dependent, requiring 306 degree-days above a threshold of 9 °C. Degree-day requirements and soil temperatures from a nearby weather station accurately predicted the average timing of emergence in the field, but not the year-to-year variation in date of 50% emergence. The wheat midge and its parasitoid are well adapted to the conditions they encounter in their range in western Canada. Methods for rearing both species through diapause and adult emergence are described.


2014 ◽  
Vol 146 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A.H. Smith ◽  
I.L. Wise ◽  
S.L. Fox ◽  
C.L. Vera ◽  
R.M. DePauw ◽  
...  

AbstractSpring wheat varieties with the Sm1 gene for resistance to wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), were compared with susceptible wheat (Triticum Linnaeus; Poaceae) with respect to sources of yield loss and reduction in market value from wheat midge feeding damage. Four resistant varietal blends (90% Sm1 wheat plus 10% susceptible refuge) and four susceptible cultivars were grown in replicated experiments at eight locations in western Canada. Frequencies and 1000-kernel weights of undamaged and midge-damaged seeds were assessed before harvest by dissecting samples of ripe spikes, and after harvest in samples of cleaned grain. Spike data were used to estimate yield losses from reduced weight of damaged seeds and loss of severely damaged seeds (⩽8 mg) at harvest. Among midge-damaged seeds in spikes, few were severely damaged in resistant varietal blends, whereas most were severely damaged in susceptible cultivars. Cleaned, harvested grain of resistant varietal blends and susceptible cultivars had similar frequencies of midge damage and were assessed similar market grades. The primary benefit of midge-resistant wheat was reduced yield loss due to seed damage by wheat midge larvae. Resistant wheat did not protect against loss of market grade, but market value could increase due to larger yields.


2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. Vera ◽  
S. L. Fox ◽  
R. M. DePauw ◽  
M. A. H. Smith ◽  
I. L. Wise ◽  
...  

Vera, C. L., Fox, S. L., DePauw, R. M., Smith, M. A. H., Wise, I. L., Clarke, F. R., Procunier, J. D. and Lukow, O. M. 2013. Relative performance of resistant wheat varietal blends and susceptible wheat cultivars exposed to wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin). Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 59–66. Wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin), causes significant yield losses to spring wheat in western Canada. To mitigate these losses, midge-resistant wheat varietal blends, consisting of cultivars with the Sm1 midge resistance gene and containing 10% of a midge susceptible cultivar (interspersed refuge), were made available to farmers. To test their performance relative to conventional midge-susceptible cultivars, four varietal blends were grown during four consecutive growing seasons at eight locations in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada, and compared with four conventional midge-susceptible cultivars. Midge damage varied from year to year during the 4-yr study. In general, the varietal blends, as a group, yielded more grain than the susceptible cultivars, especially when grown in environments with high (12.8%) seed damage. In environments with low (0.9%) seed damage, the varietal blend yield increases were smaller but still significant, suggesting that some of the varietal blends may be endowed with additional superior attributes, unrelated to midge resistance. The Sm1 gene was independent of time to heading and maturity, plant height, lodging and seed weight.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana P. G. S. Wengrat ◽  
Aloisio Coelho Junior ◽  
Jose R. P. Parra ◽  
Tamara A. Takahashi ◽  
Luis A. Foerster ◽  
...  

AbstractThe egg parasitoid Telenomus remus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) has been investigated for classical and applied biological control of noctuid pests, especially Spodoptera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) species. Although T. remus was introduced into Brazil over three decades ago for classical biological control of S. frugiperda, this wasp has not been recorded as established in corn or soybean crops. We used an integrative approach to identify T. remus, combining a taxonomic key based on the male genitalia with DNA barcoding, using a cytochrome c oxidase subunit I mitochondrial gene fragment. This is the first report of natural parasitism of T. remus on S. frugiperda and S. cosmioides eggs at two locations in Brazil. We also confirmed that the T. remus lineage in Brazil derives from a strain in Venezuela (originally from Papua New Guinea and introduced into the Americas, Africa, and Asia). The occurrence of T. remus parasitizing S. frugiperda and S. cosmioides eggs in field conditions, not associated with inundative releases, suggests that the species has managed to establish itself in the field in Brazil. This opens possibilities for future biological control programs, since T. remus shows good potential for mass rearing and egg parasitism of important agricultural pests such as Spodoptera species.


2016 ◽  
Vol 148 (5) ◽  
pp. 616-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.R. Echegaray ◽  
R.N. Stougaard ◽  
B. Bohannon

AbstractEuxestonotus error (Fitch) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) is considered part of the natural enemy complex of the wheat midge Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Although previously reported in the United States of America, there is no record for this species outside the state of New York since 1865. A survey conducted in the summer of 2015 revealed that E. error is present in northwestern Montana and is likely playing a role in the suppression of wheat midge populations.


2006 ◽  
Vol 138 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Mittapalli ◽  
R.H. Shukle ◽  
I.L. Wise

AbstractMariner-like element sequences were recovered from the genome of the orange wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin), with degenerate PCR primers designed to conserved regions of mariner transposases. The deduced amino acid sequences of the mariner-like transposases from S. mosellana showed 67% to 78% identity with the peptide sequences of other mariner transposases. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the mariner-like elements from S. mosellana grouped in the mauritiana subfamily of mariner transposons. Results from Southern blot analysis suggest mariner-like elements are at a moderate copy number in the genome of S. mosellana.


1999 ◽  
Vol 131 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Ding ◽  
R.J. Lamb

AbstractThe wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin), infests wheat, Triticum aestivum L., heads only up to anthesis when pollination occurs. The termination of infestation might be due to a deterrence of oviposition or to a suppression of larval growth on developing seeds. These hypotheses were tested in the laboratory by measuring oviposition preference, larval development, and larval preference for plants at different growth stages. Females showed no preference for ovipositing on heads at any stage from the onset of heading up to and including anthesis, and continued to lay eggs at a reduced rate 10 days after anthesis. Survival of newly hatched larvae was reduced on seeds 3–1 days after anthesis and survival and development was greatly reduced on seeds 5 or 6 days after anthesis. Larvae moved away from older seeds and fed on younger seeds in a choice test. Given a hatching time of 5–6 days, a failure to infest wheat after anthesis is not due to oviposition deterrence at anthesis, but to suppression of larval growth and development which begins soon after anthesis.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Amanda Jorgensen ◽  
Maya L. Evenden ◽  
Owen Olfert ◽  
Jennifer Otani

Abstract Wheat midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana Géhin (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is an invasive pest of wheat, Triticum spp. (Poaceae), in North America and is found in all wheat-growing regions of the world. Wheat midge biology, particularly post-diapause emergence of adults, varies with geographic region. The biology of wheat midge has not previously been examined in the northernmost area of its range in Canada – the Peace River region of Alberta. Wheat midge adult emergence was compared in situ to two phenological models of wheat midge emergence developed in other geographic regions. In-field adult emergence did not match the published phenological models. In the Peace River region, adults emerged later than are predicted by both models and precision for both models was low. With the Saskatchewan model, accumulated rainfall that was more than 110 mm in May and early June delayed emergence, whereas accumulated rainfall that was less than 43 mm during that period caused earlier than predicted emergence. Multiple peaks of wheat midge emergence, up to 20 days apart, were observed at some sites, supporting the Jacquemin model depicting “waves” of emergence. Including differences in soil temperature accumulation related to precipitation and optimising the model temperature thresholds would improve accuracy of the current Canadian phenological model in the Peace River region.


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