scholarly journals Bracon wasps for ecological pest control–a laboratory experiment

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11540
Author(s):  
Jessica Lettmann ◽  
Karsten Mody ◽  
Tore-Aliocha Kursch-Metz ◽  
Nico Blüthgen ◽  
Katja Wehner
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Laboratory Experiment ◽  
Pest Control ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Parasitoid Wasp ◽  
Host Larva ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
Single Host

Biological control of pest insects by natural enemies may be an effective, cheap and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides. The cosmopolitan parasitoid wasp species Bracon brevicornis Wesmael and B. hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) use lepidopteran species as hosts, including insect pests like Ephestia kuehniella or Ostrinia nubilalis. Here, we compare the reproductive success of both Bracon species on E. kuehniella in a laboratory experiment. We asked (1) how the reproductive success on a single host larva changes with temperature, (2) how it changes with temperature when more host larvae are present and (3) how temperature and availability of host larvae influence the efficacy of Bracon species as biological control agents. In general, differences between B. brevicornis and B. hebetor have been small. For rearing both Bracon species in the laboratory on one host larva, a temperature between 20–27 °C seems appropriate to obtain the highest number of offspring with a female-biased sex ratio. Rearing the braconid wasps on more than one host larva revealed a higher number of total offspring but less offspring per host larva on average. Again, highest numbers of offspring hatched at 27 °C and the sex ratio was independent from temperature. Although no parasitoids hatched at 12 °C and only few at 36 °C, host larvae were still paralyzed. The efficacy of B. brevicornis was higher than 80% at all numbers of host larvae presented at all temperatures while the efficacy of B. hebetor was less than 80% at 12 °C and 27 °C at low numbers of host larvae presented. In conclusion, practitioners can use either B. brevicornis or B. hebetor at low and high temperatures and at varying host densities to achieve high pest control efficacy.

Implementation of biological control

1988 ◽  
Vol 3 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 102-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joop C. van Lenteren
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Pest Control ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Control Program ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Future Developments ◽  
Industry Policy ◽  
Chemical Pesticides ◽  
Inoculative Biological Control

AbstractThe number of species of insect pests, estimated to be maximally 10,000 worldwide, forms only a small part of the millions of species of plant-eating insects. Chemical pest control is becoming increasingly difficult and objectionable in terms of environmental contamination so that other methods of pest control need to be developed. One of the best alternatives is biological control. Natural and inoculative biological control has already proven successful against a variety of pests over large areas. One is inclined to forget, however, how successful a biological control program has been as soon as the pest problem has been solved. Other types of biological control involving the regular introduction or augmentation of natural enemies are better known, although these have been applied on a much smaller scale; a survey of the present-day application of these latter types of biological control is presented here. Phases in the implementation of biological control are illustrated and needed future developments in research are discussed. The main limitation on the development of biological control is not the research, since natural enemies are easier found and with a much lower investment than new chemical pesticides, but rather the attitudes held by growers and disinterest on the part of industry, policy-makers, and politicians. The first priority for those concerned with the development and application of safer pest control should, therefore, be to change the perceptions that these other groups have of biological control.

scholarly journals Penetrance of symbiont-mediated parthenogenesis is driven by reproductive rate in a parasitoid wasp

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia R.I. Lindsey ◽  
Richard Stouthamer
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Parasitoid Wasp ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Symbiotic Relationship ◽  
Offspring Production ◽  
Total Fecundity

Trichogramma wasps are tiny parasitoids of lepidopteran eggs, used extensively for biological control. They are often infected with the bacterial symbiont Wolbachia, which converts Trichogramma to an asexual mode of reproduction, whereby females develop from unfertilized eggs. However, this Wolbachia-induced parthenogenesis is not always complete, and previous studies have noted that infected females will produce occasional males in the lab. The conditions that reduce penetrance of the parthenogenesis phenotype are not well understood. We hypothesized that more ecologically relevant conditions of limited host access will sustain female-biased sex ratios. After restricting access to host eggs, we found a strong relationship between reproductive rate and sex ratio. By limiting reproduction to one hour a day, wasps could sustain up to 100% effective parthenogenesis for one week, with no significant impact on total fecundity. Reproductive output in the first 24-hours appears to be critical to the total sex ratio of the entire brood. Limiting oviposition in that period resulted in more effective parthenogenesis after one week, again without any significant impact on total fecundity. Our data suggest that this phenomenon may be due to the depletion of Wolbachia when oviposition occurs continuously, whereas Wolbachia titers may recover when offspring production is limited. In addition to the potential to improve mass rearing of Trichogramma for biological control, findings from this study help elucidate the context-dependent nature of a pervasive symbiotic relationship.

scholarly journals Genetic Diversity in Invasive Populations of Argentine Stem Weevil Associated with Adaptation to Biocontrol

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas W. R. Harrop ◽  
Marissa F. Le Lec ◽  
Ruy Jauregui ◽  
Shannon E. Taylor ◽  
Sarah N. Inwood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Biological Control ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Parasitoid Wasp ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Effective Population

Modified, agricultural landscapes are susceptible to damage by insect pests. Biological control of pests is typically successful once a control agent has established, but this depends on the agent’s capacity to co-evolve with the host. Theoretical studies have shown that different levels of genetic variation between the host and the control agent will lead to rapid evolution of resistance in the host. Although this has been reported in one instance, the underlying genetics have not been studied. To address this, we measured the genetic variation in New Zealand populations of the pasture pest, Argentine stem weevil (Listronotus bonariensis), which is controlled with declining effectiveness by a parasitoid wasp, Microctonus hyperodae. We constructed a draft reference genome of the weevil, collected samples from a geographical survey of 10 sites around New Zealand, and genotyped them using a modified genotyping-by-sequencing approach. New Zealand populations of Argentine stem weevil have high levels of heterozygosity and low population structure, consistent with a large effective population size and frequent gene flow. This implies that Argentine stem weevils were able to evolve more rapidly than their biocontrol agent, which reproduces asexually. These findings show that monitoring genetic diversity in biocontrol agents and their targets is critical for long-term success of biological control.

Baculoviruses: Their Status Compared to Bacillus thuringiensis as Microbial Insecticides

1988 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Bacillus Thuringiensis ◽  
Shelf Life ◽  
Pest Control ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Intrinsic Activity ◽  
Directing Attention ◽  
Relevant Factors

With the present need to address environmental problems, there is much interest in biological control of insect pests rather than the use of chemical insecticides. This article critically reviews the use of baculoviruses worldwide in agriculture and forestry, directing attention not only to intrinsic activity but to other relevant factors such as shelf-life in storage, fluctuation in demand, and cost of production and applications. It draws particular attention to the relevance of baculoviruses to pest control in developing countries where labour is cheap.

scholarly journals Biological Control May Fail on Pests Applied with High Doses of Insecticides: Effects of Sub-Lethal Concentrations of a Pyrethroid on the Host-Searching Behavior of the Aphid Parasitoid Aphidius colemani (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) on Aphid Pests

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 539
Author(s):  
Armando Alfaro-Tapia ◽  
Jeniffer K. Alvarez-Baca ◽  
Eduardo Fuentes-Contreras ◽  
Christian C. Figueroa
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Oviposition Behavior ◽  
Rapid Evolution ◽  
Parasitoid Wasp ◽  
Host Searching ◽  
Aphid Parasitoid ◽  
Aphidius Colemani ◽  
Lethal Doses

The use of synthetic insecticides may cause failures in the biological control of insect pests due to undesired side effects on natural enemies and the rapid evolution of insecticide resistance in agroecosystems. Residues of neurotoxic insecticides can interfere with the recognition of chemical cues used by natural enemies to find pests. We investigated the effects of sub-lethal concentrations of the pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin on the interaction between the aphid parasitoid wasp Aphidius colemani and the peach potato aphid Myzus persicae. We studied changes in host-searching and oviposition behavior through laboratory bioassays when susceptible and kdr-resistant aphids are offered to parasitoid females, evaluating the effect of applying insecticides on the interacting species. The patch residence time, exploration, oviposition, and grooming were significantly disturbed when the parasitoids were offered resistant aphids sprayed with sub-lethal doses, but not when the parasitoids were offered susceptible M. persicae exposed to sub-lethal doses. We discuss how the effects of insecticides on parasitism behavior may result in failures of biological control if natural enemy populations are not adequately managed, particularly for the management of insecticide-resistant pest populations. Efforts to introduce biological control in integrated pest management (IPM) programs are also discussed.

scholarly journals Penetrance of symbiont-mediated parthenogenesis is driven by reproductive rate in a parasitoid wasp

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia R.I. Lindsey ◽  
Richard Stouthamer
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Parasitoid Wasp ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Symbiotic Relationship ◽  
Offspring Production ◽  
Total Fecundity

Trichogramma wasps are tiny parasitoids of lepidopteran eggs, used extensively for biological control. They are often infected with the bacterial symbiont Wolbachia, which converts Trichogramma to an asexual mode of reproduction, whereby females develop from unfertilized eggs. However, this Wolbachia-induced parthenogenesis is not always complete, and previous studies have noted that infected females will produce occasional males. The conditions that reduce penetrance of the parthenogenesis phenotype are not well understood. We hypothesize that more ecologically relevant conditions of limited host access will sustain female-biased sex ratios. By restricting access to host eggs, we see a strong relationship between reproductive rate and sex ratio. We show that reproductive output in the first 24 hours is critical to the total sex ratio of the entire brood, and limiting oviposition in that period results in near-complete parthenogenesis that can be sustained for long periods, without any significant impact on total fecundity. Our data suggest that this phenomenon may be due to the depletion of Wolbachia when oviposition occurs relatively constantly, and that Wolbachia titers may recover when offspring production is limited. In addition to the potential to improve mass rearing of Trichogramma for biological control, findings from this study help elucidate the context dependent nature of a pervasive symbiotic relationship.

scholarly journals Niche overlap and daily activity pattern of social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) in kale crops

Sociobiology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Castro Jacques ◽  
Tiago Georg Pikart ◽  
Vinicius Silva Santos ◽  
Lucas Oliveira Vicente ◽  
Luís Cláudio Paterno Silveira
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Interspecific Interactions ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Social Wasps ◽  
Agricultural Pests ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
Federal Institute ◽  
Education Science

Kale (Brassica oleraceae var. acephala) is of great importance in human nutrition and local agricultural economies, but its growth is impaired by the attack of several insect pests. Social wasps prey on these pests, but few studies report the importance of this predation or the potential use of wasps as biological control for agricultural pests. This study aimed to survey the species of social wasps that forage in kale (B. oleraceae var. acephala), recording the influence of temperature and time of day on the foraging behavior of these wasps. The research was conducted at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Minas Gerais - Bambuí Campus, from July to December 2015, when twelve collections of social wasps that foraged on a common area of kale cultivation were made, noting the temperature and time of collection for each wasp. Polybia ignobilis, Protonectarina sylveirae and Protopolybia sedula were the most common wasp species foraging in fields of kale. Interspecific interactions between wasp species did not affect their coexistence within kale fields, with peak foraging occurring between 1000 and 1100 hours. Social wasps are important predators of herbivorous insects in the agricultural environment and the coexistence of a great diversity of these predators can help control pest insects that occur in the crop. Moreover, knowing factors that influence foraging behaviors of common wasp species that occur in this crop is important for effective use of these insects in the biological control of pests.

Random amplified polymorphic DNA markers for DNA fingerprinting and genetic variability assessment of minute parasitic wasp species (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae and Trichogrammatidae) used in biological control programs of phytophagous insects

Genome ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 580-587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoit S. Landry ◽  
Louise Dextraze ◽  
Guy Boivin
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Dna Fingerprinting ◽  
Dna Markers ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Random Amplified Polymorphic Dna ◽  
Parasitic Wasp ◽  
Egg Parasitoid ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Traditional Taxonomy

Biological control of insects that feed on our crops has become more practical in recent years by mass release of egg parasitoid microhymenoptera. Trichogramma species are now commercially reared and spread in commercial fields to control specific insect pests. Microhymenoptera species are, however, very small and morphologically indistinguishable within species, although strains of a given species differ in their efficiency to control specific insect pests. Traditional taxonomy is unable to differentiate microhymenoptera species at the strain level. It is becoming increasingly important to develop a reliable system to monitor genetic variations both within and between strains of commercially important microhymenoptera, to detect genetic drift occurring during several generations of multiplication, to protect patents, and to certify the lots of commercially released microhymenoptera. We have developed a system based on DNA markers to rapidly characterize individuals of five species of microhymenoptera from the genus Anaphes and Trichogramma including a new species of Anaphes not previously described. The main components of our system are a rapid and simple DNA micro-extraction method and fast DNA polymorphism analyses based on random amplified polymorphic DNA markers.Key words: genetic mapping, population genetics, Anaphes spp., Trichogramma spp., RAPD, DNA markers, DNA fingerprinting.

scholarly journals Penetrance of symbiont-mediated parthenogenesis is driven by reproductive rate in a parasitoid wasp

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia R.I. Lindsey ◽  
Richard Stouthamer
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Reproductive Output ◽  
Parasitoid Wasp ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Mass Rearing ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Symbiotic Relationship ◽  
Offspring Production ◽  
Total Fecundity

Trichogramma wasps are tiny parasitoids of lepidopteran eggs, used extensively for biological control. They are often infected with the bacterial symbiont Wolbachia, which converts Trichogramma to an asexual mode of reproduction, whereby females develop from unfertilized eggs. However, this Wolbachia-induced parthenogenesis is not always complete, and previous studies have noted that infected females will produce occasional males. The conditions that reduce penetrance of the parthenogenesis phenotype are not well understood. We hypothesize that more ecologically relevant conditions of limited host access will sustain female-biased sex ratios. By restricting access to host eggs, we see a strong relationship between reproductive rate and sex ratio. We show that reproductive output in the first 24 hours is critical to the total sex ratio of the entire brood, and limiting oviposition in that period results in near-complete parthenogenesis that can be sustained for long periods, without any significant impact on total fecundity. Our data suggest that this phenomenon may be due to the depletion of Wolbachia when oviposition occurs relatively constantly, and that Wolbachia titers may recover when offspring production is limited. In addition to the potential to improve mass rearing of Trichogramma for biological control, findings from this study help elucidate the context dependent nature of a pervasive symbiotic relationship.

scholarly journals SON-KILLER: A THIRD EXTRACHROMOSOMAL FACTOR AFFECTING THE SEX RATIO IN THE PARASITOID WASP, NASONIA (=MORMONIELLA) VITRIPENNIS

Genetics ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 109 (4) ◽  
pp. 745-759 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Way Skinner
Keyword(s):  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Parasitoid Wasp ◽  
Infected Female ◽  
Single Host ◽  
Secondary Sex Ratio

ABSTRACT An extrachromosomal factor, termed son-killer (sk), affects the sex ratio in a parasitoid wasp, Nasonia (=Mormoniella) vitripennis. The factor is maternally transmitted and alters the secondary sex ratio of an infected female through mortality of approximately 80% of the male embryos. No effect on the primary (zygotic) sex ratio is observed. Ninety-five percent of the daughters of an infected female inherit son-killer. The factor can also be transmitted contagiously when the progeny of infected and uninfected females develop simultaneously on a single host. In newly infected strains, the sex ratio effects are equivalent to those in the original.

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