In a study of the parasitoid complex of the locust leaf miner Phyllonorycter robiniella (Clemens, 1859), 23 species of its parasitoids were recorded at 18 localities in Serbia. The parasitoid species included 2 species of the family Braconidae, 1 of the family Eupelmidae, and 20 of the family Eulophidae. The recorded species of parasitoids are polyphagous; in addition to Ph. robiniella, they also develop on other species of leaf miners as primary; primary and secondary; or primary, secondary, and tertiary parasitoids. Among the recorded species of parasitoids, the most significant were the species Pholetesor bicolor, Pholetesor nanus, Sympiesis sericeicornis, Sympiesis acalle, Minotetrastichus frontalis, Pediobius saulius, and Baryscapus nigroviolaceus. The parasitoids were found to have a strong effect on the abundance of Ph. robiniella because they reduced more than 50% of its larvae and pupae in the majority of study samples.
With the process of urbanization, cities are expanding, while forests are declining. Many conditions in the urban habitats are modified compared to those in the rural ones, so the organisms present reactions to these changes. To determine to what extent the habitat type influences insects, we tested the differences in the pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) leaf-mining insect community between urban and rural habitats in Serbia. Lower species richness, abundance, and diversity were determined on trees in the urban environment. Due to the differences in the habitat types, many of the species disappeared, while most of the remaining species declined. The seasonal dynamics of species richness, abundance, and diversity differed between the habitat types. Both rural and urban populations started with low values in May. Subsequently, rural populations gained higher species richness, abundance, and diversity. As about 60% of the leaf miners’ species present in the rural habitats survive on the trees in urban areas, those trees are of great importance as a species reservoir. This is why we need to preserve and strive to improve the condition of urban areas where the pedunculate oak is present.
Oak lace bug – Corythucha arcuata (Say, 1832) (Hemiptera: Tingidae) is a North American species that has been introduced to Europe and Asia, where it became a serious oak pest. As little is known about its behavior, we conducted a study in which we tested the preference and performance of the oak lace bug for different oak species and the influence of powdery mildew and CO2 on the behavior of the oak lace bug. Four of the most represented oak species in Serbia (Hungarian, pedunculate, sessile, and Turkey oak) were used for testing the preference and performance of the oak lace bug, and the influence of oak powdery mildew on the behavior of the oak lace bug. The influence of CO2 on the behavior of the oak lace bug was tested on pedunculate oak. The results of this study have shown that there are differences in preference and performance of the oak lace bug between the analyzed oak species; there are significant differences in the oak lace bug host preference in the laboratory and in field conditions; Hungarian oak is most threatened by the oak lace bug, as the oak lace bug performs best on this species and preferers this species in field conditions; the oak powdery mildew and oak lace bug are in an antagonistic relationship; and that the changes in the leaves caused by the expected increase in CO2 concentration in the future will probably not influence the feeding behavior of the oak lace bug adults.
Altogether 26 species of phloemophagous and xylophagous insects, 47 species of parasitoids, 14 species of predators and 7 species of inquilines were identified on the branches of Quercus cerris, Q. frainetto, Q. petraea and Q. robur, diameter 3-15 cm, at 24 sites in Serbia over the period 1992-1996. The greatest number of the identified species were taken from Q. petraea branches (66), followed by Q. cerris (49), Q. frainetto (48) and Q. robur (43). Among the identified phloemophagous and xylophagous insects, the most frequent and the most abundant species were Scolytus intricatus, Agrilus angustulus and Xylotrechus antilope. The most frequent and the most abundant parasitoid was Ecphylus silesiacus. In some samples, the species Entedon ergias, Cheiropachus quadrum and Dendrosoter protuberans were also among the more abundant parasitoids. The most significant predator was the species Tilloidea unifasciata, and the most significant inquilines were the species Poecilothrips albopictus and Asynapta pectoralis.
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