Establishment of an Exotic Parasitoid Cotesia vestalis in Coastal Areas of Kenya as Biological Control Agent of Plutella xylostella

Author(s):  
Mukembu Joan Mukiri ◽  
Johnson Nyasani ◽  
Shadrack Muvui Muya ◽  
Steven Ger Nyanjom ◽  
Fathiya M. Khamis ◽  
...  
Sociobiology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matheus Montefusco Oliveira ◽  
Flávia Batista Gomes ◽  
Alexandre Somavilla ◽  
Cristiane Krug

Wasps of the genus Polistes (Vespidae: Polistinae) are eusocial, considered valuable biological control agents. The objective of this work was to determine the resources collected by Polistes canadensis wasps, evaluate their performance and importance as a natural enemy and possible agent of biological control in the Brazilian Amazon. Between 8 October and 20 November of 2014, 20 evaluations were performed, totalizing 101 hours of observations of the foraging activity of an aggregation out in stage of development post-emergence with approximately 50 adult individuals distributed in 15 colonies. Additionally, observations of the predatory activity of Polistes canadensis on Plutella xylostella on a small organic plantation of kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC), were also made. During the evaluations 1742 returns were recorded, 11.72% of them with prey, 3.10% with plant fiber, 16.76% with nectar, 45.17% with water and 23.25% without any visible load. All the preys identified were classified as Lepidoptera, belonging to ten morphospecies. Only one morphospecies was identified as Spodoptera frugiperda, which was the most commonly resource used by the wasps in 37 % in immature feeding. Only returns with nectar had statistically significant difference between the evaluated schedules.  Polistes canadensis wasps did not prey Plutella xylostella caterpillars. The wasp aggregation studied was able to prey an average of 10.2 caterpillars per day, which demonstrates the potential of this species for the biological control of pests in the Amazon region.


2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 753-765 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruo-Xia Chen ◽  
Feng Zhang ◽  
Wei-Guo Huangfu ◽  
Hong-Yan Yao ◽  
Jin-Bo Zhou ◽  
...  

EUGENIA ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina L. Salaki

ABSTRACT   The research aimed to explore potential entomopathogenic bacteria as biological control agent for insect pest of P. xylostella and Spodoptera sp. in cabbage and broccoli. The indigenous bacteria were explored by taking 103 samples from location around North Sulawesi. Bacteria were selectively isolated by using Ohba and Aizawa method and then identified based on morphology. Subsequently the isolates were screened by their potency to kill test insect of P. xylostella and Spodoptera sp. The isolates were able to kill ≥ 50 % test insect considered  as potential for biological control. The potential isolates were then selected and would be developed  as powder and liquid bio-pesticide through large scale production. The result of the study showed that 145 Bacillus thuringiensis isolates and 202 Bacillus cereus isolates were obtained from 103 samples. The screening of the isolates based on standard test insect for cabbage and broccoli were in progress. The potential isolates would be further selected on the basis of their pathogenicity test. Based on pathogenecity test, chosen isolates will be developed as  bio-pasticide to control insect pest of cabbage and broccoli. Keywords : Exploration, entomopathogenic bacteria, biological control, Plutella xylostella, Spodoptera Sp.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Xuan Huang ◽  
Xiaoyu Quan ◽  
Xia Wang ◽  
Yueli Yun ◽  
Yu Peng

Spiders, as predators of insects and other invertebrates, are an important part of the natural enemies, and they are recognized as an important biological control agent. Plutellaxylostella (Linnaeus, 1758), the diamondback moth (DBM), is a well-known and destructive insect pest of brassicaceous crops worldwide. Here, we analyzed the functional responses of four spiders (Araneae) – Ebrechtellatricuspidata (Fabricius, 1775) (Thomisidae), Pardosalaura (Karsch, 1879) (Lycosidae), Pardosaastrigera (Koch, 1878) (Lycosidae), and Pardosapseudoannulata (Bösenberg & Strand, 1906) (Lycosidae) – on P.xylostella larvae. We also analyzed intraspecific disturbances in the predation reaction and the intensity of scrambling competition of the spiders to P.xylostella larvae. Our results demonstrated that the functional responses of four spiders of different genera were in line with the Holling II model. Two Lycosidae spiders (P.astrigera and P.pseudoannulata) had the potential to control P.xylostella, and female and male spiders that belonged to the same species had different functional responses to P.xylostella. The functional responses of female predation of P.astrigena, P.laura, and P.pseudoannulata was stronger than the males, but male E.tricuspidatus had stronger functional responses to predation than females. We used the Hassell model to describe the intraspecific disturbance experiments of four spiders. There were intraspecific disturbances in the predation reactions of spiders, indicating that the predation ratio of spiders decreased in relation to the increase of its density, and with the increase of spider density, the intensity of scrambling competition of the spider increased.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document