The Olfactory System of (Marsh) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a Natural Enemy of (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae).

The parasitoid wasp is a key koinobiont solitary endoparasitoid of the invasive agricultural pest . This study investigates both the morphological and molecular foundations of sex-specific olfactory differentiation in this species. Morphological analysis revealed that males possess significantly longer antennae (2880.

Side effects of pesticides used in organic and conventional tomato crops on Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris, a parasitoid of Tuta absoluta.

Background: Dolichogenidea gelechiidivoris is a key biological control agent of Tuta absoluta, one of the most destructive pests in tomato crops worldwide. As part of integrated pest management (IPM) programs, pesticides are commonly applied to control multiple pests. However, their compatibility with parasitoids such as D.

Compatibility of Bioinsecticides with Parasitoids for Enhanced Integrated Pest Management of and .

and are successful biological invaders of agroecosystems. Their integrated pest management (IPM) programs involve the release and/or conservation of natural enemies. Among these, is a major Asian parasitoid of and has been introduced as a classical biological control agent of this pest in Europe and North America, while is a key fortuitous parasitoid of in the Mediterranean region.

Earwig Releases Provide Accumulative Biological Control of the Woolly Apple Aphid over the Years.

Nature-based solutions, such as biological control, can strongly contribute to reducing the use of plant protection products. In our study, we assessed the effect of augmentative releases of the European earwig () to control the woolly apple aphid (), a worldwide pest that causes serious damage to apple trees. The trials were carried out in two organic apple orchards located in Catalonia (NE Spain) from 2017 to 2020.

Genome Assembly and Population Sequencing Reveal Three Populations and Signatures of Insecticide Resistance of Tuta absoluta in Latin America.

Tuta absoluta is one of the largest threats to tomato agriculture worldwide. Native to South America, it has rapidly spread throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia over the past two decades. To understand how T.

Few indirect effects of baculovirus on parasitoids demonstrate high compatibility of biocontrol methods against Tuta absoluta.

Background: Combining different biocontrol agents, particularly micro- and macroorganisms, can contribute to new and sustainable pest control approaches. Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the most destructive pests of solanaceous crops. An emerging management strategy consists of biological control using microbial insecticides such as baculoviruses, but with limited efficacy.

Nonreproductive effects are more important than reproductive effects in a host feeding parasitoid.

When female host feeding parasitoids encounter a potential host, they face a complicated trade-off between either laying an egg for investing in current reproduction or feeding on or killing the host for future reproduction. Few studies have measured these behavioral shift patterns in a given host-parasitoid association thus far. We systematically assessed the behavioral shifts and life history traits of a host feeding parasitoid, Necremnus tutae, on different instars of its host Tuta absoluta.

Similar Bacterial Communities among Different Populations of a Newly Emerging Invasive Species, (Meyrick).

Microorganisms in the guts of insects enhance the adaptability of their hosts with different lifestyles, or those that live in different habitats. is an invasive pest that is a serious threat to tomato production in China. It has quickly spread and colonized Xinjiang, Yunnan and other provinces and regions.

The Pupal Parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae Is Attracted to the Same Yeast Volatiles as Its Adult Host.

There is increasing evidence that microorganisms, particularly fungi and bacteria, emit volatile compounds that mediate the foraging behaviour of insects and therefore have the potential to affect key ecological relationships. However, to what extent microbial volatiles affect the olfactory response of insects across different trophic levels remains unclear. Adult parasitoids use a variety of chemical stimuli to locate potential hosts, including those emitted by the host's habitat, the host itself, and microorganisms associated with the host.

Selection of insectary plants for the conservation of biological control agents of aphids and thrips in fruit orchards.

This study evaluated the potential of flowering plant species naturally occurring to promote the conservation and early establishment of key natural enemies of aphids and thrips in apple and peach orchards. Flowering plants present in the North East of Spain, a main fruit production area in Europe, were sampled to determine their flowering period and to identify potential natural enemies present on each plant species. Thirty-six plant species were found blooming from early March to late May and provided an array of flowers that might ensure food resources for natural enemies.

Can Insectary Plants Enhance the Presence of Natural Enemies of the Green Peach Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Mediterranean Peach Orchards?

Conservation biological control could be an alternative to insecticides for the management of the aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer). To develop sustainable strategies for M. persicae control in peach orchards in the Mediterranean, a 2-yr field experiment was conducted to identify the key predators of the aphid; to determine whether the proximity of insectary plants boost natural enemies of M.

Resolving the Taxonomic Status of Potential Biocontrol Agents Belonging to the Neglected Genus Förster (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) with Descriptions of Six New Species.

is a small genus in the subfamily Aphidiinae represented by one species in Europe ( Förster) and by four in Asia ( Chen, Gahan, Pramanik and Raychaudhuri and Pramanik and Raychaudhuri). Although is employed in biological control programs against pest aphids, the last morphological study on the genus was completed over 50 years ago. This study employs an integrative approach (morphology and molecular analysis (COI barcode region)), to examine specimens that were sampled worldwide, including specimens from BOLD database.

Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) Success on Common Solanaceous Species from California Tomato Production Areas.

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is a devastating pest of tomato that has invaded many regions of the world. To date, it has not been detected in North America, but the pest reached Costa Rica in 2014 and seriously threatens the southern, southwestern, and western United States including California. Although the primary host of T.

The Contribution of Surrounding Margins in the Promotion of Natural Enemies in Mediterranean Apple Orchards.

(1) Habitat management can enhance beneficial arthropod populations and provide ecosystem services such as biological control. However, the implementation of ecological infrastructures inside orchards has a number of practical limitations. Therefore, planting/growing insectary plants in the margins of orchards should be considered as an alternative approach.

Hymenoptera Complex Associated with and spp. in Peach Orchards in Northeastern Spain and Prospects for Biological Control of Aphids.

Aphids are a serious pest for peach crops. They have traditionally been managed with insecticides, but there is increasing concern about the risk that insecticides pose to both humans and the environment. As a first step to use biological control in aphid management, we conducted a 3-year field survey in northeastern Spain to determine which parasitoids and hyperparasitoids were most prevalent on two aphids, (Sulzer) and spp.

Attraction of Aphidius ervi (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) to Sweet Alyssum and Assessment of Plant Resources Effects on their Fitness.

The green peach aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is one of the most economically important aphid species affecting crops worldwide. Since many natural enemies of this aphid have been recorded, biological control of this pest might be a viable alternative to manage it. Selected plant species in field margins might help to provide the natural enemies with food sources to enhance their fitness.

Nuclear and cytoplasmic differentiation among Mediterranean populations of Bemisia tabaci: testing the biological relevance of cytotypes.

Background: The taxonomy of the species complex Bemisia tabaci is still an unresolved issue. Recently, phylogenetic analysis based on mtCOI identified 31 cryptic species. However, mitochondrial diversity is observed within these species, associated with distinct symbiotic bacterial communities forming associations, which here are called cytotypes.

Prospects for the biological control of Tuta absoluta in tomatoes of the Mediterranean basin.

Since its detection in the Mediterranean basin at the end of 2006 and later in other European countries, the South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), has become a serious threat to tomato crops. In newly infested areas, it is especially problematic during the first years of its presence. Nevertheless, after 2-3 years, the incidence of T.

Within-plant distribution and sampling of single and mixed infestations of Bemisia tabaci and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) in winter tomato crops.

In several areas of Spain, the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), and the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), coexist in tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum Miller. For integrated pest management decision-making, it is important to know the abundance of each species, because they exhibit different abilities to transmit viruses, are susceptible to different biological control agents, and have different responses to insecticides. This study was conducted to provide information on the vertical distribution of T.