scholarly journals Reproductive Traits of Ontsira mellipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a North American Parasitoid, as a Novel Biological Control Agent for Exotic Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (5) ◽  
pp. 2112-2119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingeng Wang ◽  
Ellen M Aparicio
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Host Size ◽  
Choice Test ◽  
Egg Load ◽  
Anoplophora Glabripennis ◽  
Asian Longhorned Beetle ◽  
Egg Maturation

Abstract Ontsira mellipes Ashmead is a gregarious larval ectoparasitoid of woodboring cerambycids that is native to North America but can readily attack the exotic Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky). To evaluate the potential of the parasitoid as a novel association control agent for the pest beetle, this study investigated some key reproductive traits of the parasitoid, including egg maturation dynamics, and host size preference and suitability in association with the beetle. Results showed that female wasps emerged with a substantial portion (38%) of their lifetime complement of mature eggs and matured eggs rapidly, reaching a peak 4–6 d post-eclosion. The number of mature eggs was positively related to the female wasp’s body size. Oviposition prompted production of more mature eggs by young female wasps. The parasitoid did not show a significant preference for large over small hosts in a choice test. Host size did not affect the parasitoid’s offspring survival, developmental time, or sex ratio. However, clutch size increased with increasing host size. Female wasps that developed from large hosts had larger body size and consequently a higher mature egg load than those reared from small hosts. Neither longevity nor the total number of parasitized hosts over a female’s lifetime was affected by the female’s size, but the total number of offspring produced per female increased with the female’s size. These results have important implications for improving rearing and field-release strategies as well as understanding the ecological mechanisms underlying host size selection in gregarious parasitoids.

Ovigeny strategy of the parasitic wasp Cosmocomoidea annulicornis (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae): effect of female age, feeding and host availability on reproductive traits

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Carolina Manzano ◽  
Eduardo G. Virla ◽  
Maria V. Coll Araoz ◽  
Erica Luft-Albarracin
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Parasitic Wasp ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Egg Load ◽  
Biological Traits ◽  
Potential Fecundity ◽  
Female Age ◽  
Host Availability ◽  
Egg Maturation

Abstract The reproductive traits of the mymarid wasp Cosmocomoidea annulicornis (Ogloblin) (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) attacking eggs of the sharpshooter Tapajosa rubromarginata (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) were evaluated under laboratory conditions. Bioassays were carried out to estimate the realized fecundity and egg load of females. The ovigeny index was calculated and different biological traits, such as body size, oöcyte length, gaster length and wing length, were analysed to assess significant associations between these traits and the species fitness. In addition, the effect of host availability and feeding on longevity and potential fecundity throughout life and the effect of female age on egg maturation dynamics were assessed. The results showed that C. annulicornis is a strongly synovigenic species. A positive correlation was found between fecundity and longevity of the females and between body size and oöcyte length. Contrary to expected, body size was not related to fecundity and longevity. Females lived significantly longer in the presence of hosts and honey than when they were host-deprived and honey-fed or both host and honey deprived. Host availability had a significant effect on the amount of eggs laid by C. annulicornis females. Female age was negatively associated with oöcyte length. Furthermore, females were able to mature additional eggs as they aged, nevertheless, when host-deprived, senescent females presented significantly less mature eggs than younger ones, suggesting a possible egg oosorption. These results might contribute to a better understanding of the reproductive potential of this species as a biocontrol agent.

HOST SPECIFICITY OF LIRIOMYZA SONCHI HENDEL (DIPTERA: AGROMYZIDAE), A POTENTIAL BIOLOGICAL AGENT FOR THE CONTROL OF WEEDY SOW-THISTLES, SONCHUS SPP., IN CANADA

1988 ◽  
Vol 120 (6) ◽  
pp. 593-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diether P. Peschken ◽  
Jo-Anne L. Derby
Keyword(s):  
Host Specificity ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Taraxacum Officinale ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Economic Importance ◽  
Choice Test ◽  
Choice Tests ◽  
Sonchus Arvensis ◽  
Helichrysum Bracteatum

AbstractLiriomyza sonchi Hendel was screened for its host specificity as a potential biological control agent against sow-thistles (Sonchus spp.). Recent literature indicated that L. sonchi is recorded frequently from Sonchus spp., but also from Arnoseris minima Schweigger and Koerte and Reichardia arabicum Hochstetter and Steudel. A total of 78 plant species were tested, including 37 species in the Cichorieae (Compositae). In no-choice tests, feeding punctures were observed on species in the closely related genera Aetheorrhiza, Crepis, Lactuca, and Taraxacum, and such distantly related species as Helichrysum bracteatum Andrews var. monstrosum Hortorum (Inuleae tribe, Compositae) and Pisum sativum L. (Leguminosae). From 0.04 to 0.67 adults per female were produced on Aetheorrhiza bulbosa (L.), Crepis dioscordis L., C. rubra L., Leontodon hispidus L., and Taraxacum officinale Weber as compared with about 23 per female on its host, Sonchus arvensis L. No species in these genera other than Sonchus are reported as hosts in the field in Europe and they are therefore considered to be cage-induced hosts. Because of its economic importance, 10 cultivars of lettuce, Lactuca sativa L., were exposed to a total of 837 females in no-choice tests. One puparium and one adult (0.006 per female) were produced. In one replicated choice test with 150 females, no mines were produced on lettuce. It is concluded that the field host range of L. sonchi is restricted to Sonchus spp.

Physiological Host Range of Trissolcus Mitsukurii, A Candidate Biological Control Agent of Halyomorpha Halys

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucrezia Giovannini ◽  
Giuseppino Sabbatini-Peverieri ◽  
Leonardo Marianelli ◽  
Gabriele Rondoni ◽  
Eric Conti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Host Range ◽  
Biocontrol Agent ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Classical Biological Control ◽  
Egg Parasitoid ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Egg Load ◽  
Halyomorpha Halys ◽  
Stink Bug

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.

Comparative studies on populations ofPauesia juniperorum(Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a biological control agent forCinara cupressivora(Hemiptera: Aphididae)

2005 ◽  
Vol 95 (6) ◽  
pp. 597-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.T.K. Kairo ◽  
S.T. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Intrinsic Rate ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Intrinsic Rate Of Increase ◽  
Threshold Temperature ◽  
Egg Load ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Different Populations ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Duration Of Development

AbstractPauesia juniperorum(Starý), a solitary endoparasitoid which attacks severalCinaraspp. in the subgenusCupressobium, was introduced into Africa for the control of the cypress aphidCinara cupressivoraWatson & Voegtlin (previously identified asCinara cupressi(Buckton)) and is now established. Data on its biology including a comparison of populations from different hosts and geographical locations are presented. From the UK this consisted of populations reared fromCinara cupressivora, Cinara fresaiBlanchard andCinara juniperiDe Geer, and from France,Cinara?fresai. Between different populations, the duration of development varied within a narrow range (15.5–18.1 days) at 22°C. Data on duration of development over a range of temperatures (15–26°C) for two populations, from the UK and France ranged between 14.0–31.4 days for males and 14.7–32.8 days for females. The threshold temperature for development was 6.2°C and 4.1°C for the populations from the UK and France, respectively. The mean egg load for different populations ranged between 46.4 and 78.5 eggs. The host species had a significant effect on egg load which was directly related to size of the respective host aphids. The lowest egg load was recorded on specimens reared fromC. cupressivorawhich was the smallest aphid. The population from the UK had a higher intrinsic rate of increase (0.232) than the one from France (0.207).

scholarly journals An Insight in the Reproductive Biology of Therophilus javanus (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, and Agathidinae), a Potential Biological Control Agent against the Legume Pod Borer (Lepidoptera, Crambidae)

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Djibril Aboubakar Souna ◽  
Aimé Bokonon-Ganta ◽  
Marc Ravallec ◽  
Antonino Cusumano ◽  
Barry Robert Pittendrigh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Egg Load ◽  
Potential Fecundity ◽  
Pod Borer ◽  
Legume Pod Borer ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Practical Implications

Therophilus javanus is a koinobiont, solitary larval endoparasitoid currently being considered as a biological control agent against the pod borer Maruca vitrata, a devastating cowpea pest causing 20–80% crop losses in West Africa. We investigated ovary morphology and anatomy, oogenesis, potential fecundity, and egg load in T. javanus, as well as the effect of factors such as age of the female and parasitoid/host size at oviposition on egg load. The number of ovarioles was found to be variable and significantly influenced by the age/size of the M. vitrata caterpillar when parasitized. Egg load also was strongly influenced by both the instar of M. vitrata caterpillar at the moment of parasitism and wasp age. The practical implications of these findings for improving mass rearing of the parasitoid toward successful biological control of M. vitrata are discussed.

Host species influences body size and egg load of the bark beetle parasitoid Roptrocerus xylophagorum (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

2003 ◽  
Vol 135 (5) ◽  
pp. 737-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sherah L. VanLaerhoven ◽  
Fred M. Stephen
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Host Range ◽  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Host Size ◽  
Egg Load ◽  
Positive Relationships ◽  
Roptrocerus Xylophagorum ◽  
Wide Host Range ◽  
The Relationship

As early as 1844, it was stated that the size of the host may influence the size of parasitoid adults (Ratzeburg 1844) and that parasitoid size may affect fecundity (Salt 1941). Although positive relationships between host and parasitoid body size have been supported in the literature (Tillman and Cate 1993; Heimpel and Rosenheim 1995), this relationship is not universal to all host–parasitoid systems (King 1991; Morse 1994). Although the relationship between host size and body size of parasitoid adults has been observed for some bark beetle parasitoids (Bushing 1967; Samson 1984), the relationship between body size and fecundity has not been studied for bark beetle parasitoids. Roptrocerus xylophagorum Ratzeburg (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is a bark beetle parasitoid with a wide host range that includes beetles in the genera Dendroctonus, Ips, and Scolytus (Bushing 1967).

scholarly journals Parasitism and Suitability of Aprostocetus brevipedicellus on Chinese Oak Silkworm, Antheraea pernyi, a Dominant Factitious Host

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 694
Author(s):  
Jing Wang ◽  
Yong-Ming Chen ◽  
Xiang-Bing Yang ◽  
Rui-E Lv ◽  
Nicolas Desneux ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mass Production ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Egg Parasitoid ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Egg Load ◽  
Emergence Time ◽  
Forest Pests ◽  
Antheraea Pernyi ◽  
Factitious Host

Aprostocetus brevipedicellus, a eulophid gregarious egg parasitoid of lepidopterous pests, is a potential biological control agent for the control of many forest pests. A dominant factitious host, Antheraea pernyi, has been widely used for mass rearing several parasitoids in China. However, whether A. pernyi eggs are suitable for A. brevipedicellus rearing remains unclear. Here we evaluated A. brevipedicellus parasitism and fitness of their offspring on A. pernyi eggs with five different treatments, including manually-extracted, unfertilized and washed eggs (MUW), naturally-laid, unfertilized and washed eggs (NUW), naturally-laid, unfertilized, and unwashed (NUUW) eggs, naturally-laid, fertilized and washed eggs (NFW), and naturally-laid, fertilized and unwashed eggs (NFUW). The results showed that A. brevipedicellus could parasitize host eggs in all treatments but significantly preferred MUW eggs to other treatments. Moreover, A. brevipedicellus preferred unfertilized eggs to fertilized eggs and parasitized more washed eggs than unwashed. The pre-emergence time of parasitoid offspring emerging from fertilized eggs was shorter than that from unfertilized eggs. More parasitoid offspring emerged from unwashed eggs than that from washed eggs. The offspring emergence rate was high (>95%) and also female-biased (>85%) among all egg treatments. The egg load of female parasitoid offspring emerging from MUW and NUW eggs was 30–60% higher than the remaining treatments. Overall, MUW eggs of A. pernyi are the most suitable for the mass production of A. brevipedicellus.

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