The leafminer Liriomyza trifolii (Diptera: Agromyzidae) encapsulates its koinobiont parasitoid Halticoptera circulus (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae): implications for biological control

AbstractThe koinobiont parasitoid Halticoptera circulus (Walker) is a potential biological control agent of leafminers, but it has only rarely been collected from the invasive leafminer, Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess), in Japan. To understand why this is the case, parasitism and development of H. circulus in L. trifolii was compared with parasitism and development in two indigenous leafminer species, Liriomyza chinensis Kato and Chromatomyia horticola (Goureau). There was no significant difference in parasitism rates by H. circulus in the three leafminer species and the eggs and larvae successfully developed in L. chinensis and C. horticola. However, H. circulus failed to develop in L. trifolii, where developmental stages were encapsulated by host haemocytes. This parasitoid may be a good agent to control indigenous leafminers such as L. chinensis and C. horticola but is unlikely to be useful for the biological control of the invasive L. trifolii in Japan.

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Development and Fecundity of Orius minutus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) and O. laevigatus Reared on Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Journal of Economic Entomology ◽

10.1093/jee/toaa078 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 113 (4) ◽

pp. 1735-1740

Author(s):

Md Arefur Rahman ◽

Souvic Sarker ◽

Eunhye Ham ◽

Jun-Seok Lee ◽

Un Taek Lim

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Tetranychus Urticae ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Predation Rate ◽

Control Agent ◽

Hatch Rate ◽

Polyphagous Predator ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Table Analysis ◽

Tetranychus Urticae Koch

Abstract The polyphagous predator Orius species is a dominant predator of thrips, mites, and aphids. Orius laevigatus (Fieber) is a well-known commercialized and effective biological control agent, whereas Orius minutus (L.) distributed widely over the world has not been commercialized. To assess potentials of developing O. minutus as a commercial biological control agent, we compared the biological parameters of O. minutus with O. laevigatus when reared on mixed stages of Tetranychus urticae Koch at 27.5°C. Nymphal development of O. laevigatus was shorter (11.30 d) than that of O. minutus (12.25 d), but there was no significant difference in survivorship between the two species. Also, no significant difference was found in either the preoviposition or oviposition periods, lifetime fecundity, or longevity between the two species. However, O. minutus eggs had a higher hatch rate (0.77) than O. laevigatus (0.71). In life table analysis, no difference was found in any parameters, i.e., R0, rm, λ, T, and DT, between O. laevigatus and O. minutus in two-tailed t-tests. In a predation bioassay, O. minutus consumed 1.39 times more adult T. urticae in 24 h than did O. laevigatus, although the predation rate on T. urticae eggs was similar between the two species. These results suggest that O. minutus native to Korea could be developed as a biological control agent against T. urticae.

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MELANIZATION OF EGGS AND LARVAE OF THE PARASITOID, EPIDINOCARSIS LOPEZI (DE SANTIS) (HYMENOPTERA: ENCYRTIDAE), BY THE CASSAVA MEALYBUG, PHENACOCCUS MANIHOTI MATILE-FERRERO (HOMOPTERA: PSEUDOCOCCIDAE)

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent12063-1 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 120 (1) ◽

pp. 63-71 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Daniel J. Sullivan ◽

Peter Neuenschwander

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Control Agent ◽

Phenacoccus Manihoti ◽

Defense Reaction ◽

Epidinocarsis Lopezi ◽

Cassava Mealybug ◽

Major Pest ◽

Eggs And Larvae ◽

Host Tissues

AbstractThe encyrtid wasp Epidinocarsis lopezi (De Santis) has been introduced into Africa as a biological control agent against the cassava mealybug Phenacoccus manihoti Matile-Ferrero. This host has a defense reaction against the immature parasitoid that involves encapsulation and melanization. Under laboratory conditions, 37.5% of once-stung cassava mealybugs had been parasitized, as indicated by eggs and larvae of the parasitoid in dissected hosts. Of these parasitized cassava mealybugs, 89.6% contained melanized particles (egg, partially melanized larva, internal host tissues, exoskeleton wound scars). Some of the parasitoid larvae were only partially melanized, and either freed themselves from the melanized capsule or else shed it at the next molt. By the 3rd day of their development only 12.5% were completely melanized. In cassava mealybugs with melanized host tissue but no living parasitoid, the survival of the host was not affected by the melanization. The mealybug itself sometimes shed black particles at the next molt and these were found attached to the cast skins. When superparasitized in the laboratory, 68.6% of twice-stung cassava mealybugs contained parasitoids. Mummies collected from a field experiment showed that melanization rates of mummies increased with increasing parasitization rates. Thus, melanization in the cassava mealybug was commonly triggered when E. lopezi oviposited, but this defense reaction was mostly ineffective, permitting the introduced parasitoid to be a successful biological control agent in Africa against the cassava mealybug, a major pest on this important food crop.

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Survey of the native insect natural enemies of Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) in China

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485308005609 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 98 (3) ◽

pp. 293-302 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Z.Q. Yang ◽

X.Y. Wang ◽

J.R. Wei ◽

H.R. Qu ◽

X.R. Qiao

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Natural Enemies ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Control Agent ◽

Senior Author ◽

Parasitoid Species ◽

Hyphantria Cunea ◽

Parasitism Rates ◽

Fall Webworm ◽

Chouioia Cunea

AbstractThe fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), is an invasive and important pest in China. Investigations on insect natural enemies have been conducted from 1996 to 1999 in five provinces and one municipality of China in order to select effective species for biological control. Two carabid predators (Coleoptera) and 25 parasitoid species were found, among which 23 were parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera), including five hyperparasitic species and two tachinid flies (Diptera). The two carabids preyed on young larvae inside webs, two braconid wasps parasitized larvae, and 18 parasitoid species attacked the fall webworm during the pupal and/or ‘larval-pupal’ stages. Among these parasitoids, there were one genus and nine species that are new to science and four species new to China, which were described and published by the senior author Yang. The average parasitism rates of fall webworm pupae were 25.8% and 16.1% in the overwintering generation and the first generation (summer generation), respectively. These findings reveal that these natural enemies play an important role in the natural control of the pest. Chouioia cunea Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a gregarious pupal endo-parasitoid, was recommended as a promising biological control agent against the fall webworm in China.

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Biological Control of Rose Powdery Mildew with the Antagonist Yeast Tilletiopsis pallescens

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.32.2.262 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 262-266 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Ken K. Ng ◽

Leslie MacDonald ◽

Zamir K. Punja

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Powdery Mildew ◽

Culture Filtrate ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Control Agent ◽

Spore Suspension ◽

Distilled Water ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Growing Conditions ◽

Sphaerotheca Pannosa

The efficacy of Tilletiopsis pallescens Gokhale, a naturally occurring ballistosporeforming yeast isolated from mildew-infected leaves, was evaluated as a biological control agent against rose powdery mildew [Sphaerotheca pannosa (Wallr.:Fr.) Lév. var. rosae Woronichin]. Two trials were conducted on potted rose (Rosa sp.) plants (1-year-old cv. Cardinal Pink) under commercial greenhouse-growing conditions during the summer (June to September) when mildew was most severe. Mildew-infected plants were subjected to one of four treatments: a T. pallescens spore suspension applied three times (3–4 d apart), distilled water (applied three times), one application of T. pallescens spore suspension, or one application of culture filtrate without spores. Two weeks after treatment began, mildew development was evaluated by enumerating conidial density on sampled leaflets. Sporulation was significantly reduced (by 97%–98%) on plants treated with three applications of T. pallescens spore suspension, compared to a 47%–57% reduction on plants treated with three applications of distilled water. There was no significant difference in conidial density between plants treated with one application of T. pallescens spore suspension and plants treated with one application of its culture filtrate, with a 78%–94% reduction in conidia, which was significantly higher than for the water treatment. The mode(s) of action of T. pallescens appears to be eradicant and associated with enzymes or metabolites produced in the culture filtrate. The results from this study demonstrate the potential for biological control of rose powdery mildew under commercial growing conditions in British Columbia.

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Trichogramma cacoeciae as a biological control agent of the tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta in Northeastern Tunisia

ENTOMOLOGIA HELLENICA ◽

10.12681/eh.11527 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 35 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Asma Cherif ◽

Lebdi Grissa Kaouthar

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Control Agent ◽

Tuta Absoluta ◽

Trichogramma Cacoeciae ◽

Promising Agent ◽

The World ◽

Northeastern Tunisia ◽

Eggs And Larvae ◽

Tomato Pinworm

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is considered as key pest attacking tomato in Tunisia and in many other countries around the world. In order to investigate the efficacy of Trichogramma cacoeciae (Marchal) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) for biological control of this pest in Northeastern Tunisia, releases were performed in open field conditions. T. cacoeciae showed a good efficacy on reducing the number of T. absoluta eggs and larvae when releasing 30 adults/plant in plots covered with insect-proof netting in May 2012. The results showed that this parasitoid may be a promising agent for T. absoluta biological control in Tunisia.

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Seasonal Assessment of Supercooling Points for Two Introduced and One Native Laricobius spp. (Coleoptera: Derodontidae), Predators of Adelgidae

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects10120426 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 426

Author(s):

Ashley Toland ◽

Holly Wantuch ◽

Donald Mullins ◽

Thomas Kuhar ◽

Scott Salom

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Biological Control ◽

Cold Hardiness ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Control Agent ◽

Adelges Tsugae ◽

Eastern United States ◽

Laricobius Nigrinus ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Cold Extremes

The hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae Annand, is an invasive insect that threatens hemlock species in eastern North America. Several species from the genus Laricobius are predators of A. tsugae in its native areas of Asia and the western United States. Two Laricobius species have been released as biological control agents: Laricobius nigrinus Fender, and Laricobius osakensis Montgomery and Shiyake. Laricobius rubidus LeConte is an adelgid predator native to the Eastern United States, where it can feed and complete development on A. tsugae opportunistically. Laboratory assays were conducted to assess the cold hardiness of these three Laricobius species, including two distinct populations of L. osakensis, by measuring the supercooling points of each species from November 2016 through March 2017. This information may be useful for choosing the best-suited biological control agent for a particular region to control A. tsugae. There was a significant difference between the overall mean supercooling point of L. rubidus compared to the other Laricobius spp. There were also significant differences of supercooling points between L. rubidus and both strains of L. osakensis in January, and significant differences between L. rubidus and all other strains in February. L. rubidus appear better adapted to cold extremes in the eastern U.S. than imported Laricobius spp.

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Polistes canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Vespidae: Polistinae) in the Western Amazon: a Potential Biological Control Agent

Sociobiology ◽

10.13102/sociobiology.v64i4.1936 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 64 (4) ◽

pp. 477 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Matheus Montefusco Oliveira ◽

Flávia Batista Gomes ◽

Alexandre Somavilla ◽

Cristiane Krug

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Spodoptera Frugiperda ◽

Plutella Xylostella ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Control Agent ◽

Foraging Activity ◽

Biological Control Agents ◽

Plant Fiber ◽

Stage Of Development ◽

Significant Difference

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.

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ENHANCEMENT OF GROWTH OF ONION (ALLIUM CEPA L.) BY BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENT TRICHODERMA SPP

Acta Agronomica Hungarica ◽

10.1556/aagr.49.2001.4.11 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 49 (4) ◽

pp. 393-395 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

E. PAYGHAMI ◽

S. MASSIHA ◽

B. AHARY ◽

M. VALIZADEH ◽

A. MOTALLEBI

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Trichoderma Viride ◽

Control Agent ◽

White Rot ◽

Trichoderma Spp ◽

Sclerotium Cepivorum ◽

Randomized Design ◽

Allium Cepa L ◽

Significant Difference

The effect of Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma viride (isolated from mycoflora in the rhizosphere of onion) in increasing the growth of onion was studied in a completely randomized design in pots with 12 replications under greenhouse conditions at 21°C with a 12-h light/dark cycle (fluorescent and incandescent lighting). The biological control of Sclerotium cepivorum Berk, the causal agent of white rot of onion, was also investigated in this experiment. The addition of Trichoderma spp. to autoclaved soil (inoculation of 2/3 of the top soil in the pots with 4% (v/v) inoculum of T. harzianum and T. viride) significantly increased the growth and fresh weight of the onion plants (P=1%). The biological control of S. cepivorum was achieved with T. harzianum and T. viride, but no significant difference was observed between the two species.

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Population dynamics and foraging behaviour of Diaeretus leucopterus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), and its potential for the biological control of pine damaging Eulachnus spp. (Homoptera: Aphididae)

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485300034982 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 86 (4) ◽

pp. 397-405 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

S.T. Murphy ◽

W. Völkl

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Foraging Behaviour ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Host Density ◽

Scientific Basis ◽

Control Agent ◽

Foraging Activity ◽

Parasitism Rates ◽

The Mean ◽

The Impact

AbstractThe Palaearctic pine aphids, Eulachnus agilis (Kaltenbach) and Eulachnus rileyi (Williams) have both been introduced into other continents where they have been reported causing damage to economically important pines. In Euorpe, they are attacked by the specialist parasitoid Diaeretus leucopterus (Haliday) which has been suggested as a possible biological control agent. Here we report on several aspects of the ecology of the parasitoid, conducted on E. agilis in Germany in 1993–94, to provide a more scientific basis for judging its potential for use in biological control. Parasitism of all instars in the field rarely exceeded 10% and was independent of host density. A high percentage of parasitized aphids were hyperparasitized. Measurements of the impact over 16 weeks in a greenhouse-release experiment showed that parasitism rates increased from 2 to 19% but were insufficient to suppress the aphid population below a damaging level. There was evidence of a density-dependent response. Studies on foraging behaviour showed that female parasitoids searched pines by quite extensive walks. There was no relationship between the number of aphids per tree and number of ovipositions, and the mean number of ovipositions per female per tree was 2.5 ± 0.4 eggs. The majority (55.1%) of encountered aphids did not respond to the parasitoids. However, female parasitoids attacked a much higher proportion of aphids that did respond but oviposition success on this group was poor. The number of aphid-infested needles on seedlings increased significantly owing to the parasitoid's foraging activity. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that D. leucopterus is only likely to be of benefit in biological control if used in conjunction with other complementary natural enemies.

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Eiphosoma laphygmae, a classical solution for the biocontrol of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda?

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection ◽

10.1007/s41348-021-00480-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tabea Allen ◽

Marc Kenis ◽

Lindsey Norgrove

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Spodoptera Frugiperda ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Fall Armyworm ◽

Farming Systems ◽

Field Studies ◽

Classical Biological Control ◽

Control Agent ◽

North East ◽

Parasitism Rates

AbstractThe fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, an American Lepidoptera, is invasive in Africa and Asia and currently one of the most damaging cereal pests in the tropics. The ichneumonid parasitoid, Eiphosoma laphygmae, is a potential classical biological control agent. We assessed existing knowledge on biology, identified natural distributions, collated reported parasitism rates from field studies and determined which other parasitoids co-occurred. We discussed the suitability of E. laphygmae for classical biological control as well as identified limitations and knowledge gaps. We conducted a systematic literature review and had 185 hits, retaining 52 papers. Reports on the natural distribution of E. laphygmae were restricted to the American tropics, ranging from North-East Mexico to Sao Paulo State, Brazil. There were only two single and unconfirmed records of it on other hosts, suggesting that the parasitoid may be specific to S. frugiperda, but this needs confirmation. In fields where E. laphygmae occurred naturally, it was the second most important contributor to fall armyworm mortality, after the braconid Chelonus insularis. On average, E. laphygmae parasitized 4.5% of fall armyworm in field studies. The highest parasitism rates were from Costa Rica (13%) and Minas Gerais, Brazil (14.5%). However, these parasitism rates are probably largely underestimated because of likely biases in sampling and parasitism rate calculations. Eiphosoma laphygmae appeared to establish better in more diverse, weedy systems. As African farming systems often have high diversity, this may favour the establishment and parasitism of E. laphygmae if eventually introduced as a classical biological control agent.

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