Determining the host specificity of the biological control agent<i>Trichomalus perfectus</i>(Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae): the importance of ecological host range

Haye, Tim; Mason, Peter G.; Gillespie, D. R.; Miall, J.H.; Gibson, Gary A. P.; Diaconu, Alecu; Brauner, A.M.; Kuhlmann, Ulrich

doi:10.1080/09583157.2014.945900

Cited by 13 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…This may be an additional reason why pest abundance, as well as seed pod damage rate, were lower in >500 m fields. Furthermore, parasitoids of C. obstrictus can parasitise other Ceutorhynchus species, 53,84 so it is also possible that the key parasitoids of C. obstrictus have emerged from alternative hosts. To establish whether the presence of the key parasitoids of both C. obstrictus and B. aeneus parasitoids in the studied fields is a consequence of their general presence in the landscape, or because of their superior dispersal capacity, further studies are needed on possible alternative hosts, parasitoid dispersal power, and the spatiotemporal distancing effect.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal distancing of crops reduces pest pressure while maintaining conservation biocontrol in oilseed rape

Sulg

Kovács

Willow

et al. 2023

Pest Management Science

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BACKGROUNDAgricultural landscapes provide resources for arthropod pests as well as their natural enemies. To develop integrated pest management (IPM) practices, it is important to understand how spatiotemporal location influences crop colonization and damage severity. We performed a 3‐year (2016–2018) field experiment in winter oilseed rape (OSR, Brassica napus) fields in Estonia, where half of the fields were within 500 m of the location of the previous year's winter OSR field and half were outside this zone. We investigated how distance from the previous year's OSR crop influences the infestation and parasitism rates of two of its most important pests: the pollen beetle (Brassicogethes aeneus) and the cabbage seed weevil (Ceutorhynchus obstrictus).RESULTSWhen the distance from the previous year's OSR crop was >500 m, we recorded significantly reduced pest pressure by both B. aeneus and C. obstrictus in the study fields. Biocontrol of both pests, provided by parasitic wasps, was high in each study year and commonly not affected by distance. Mean parasitism rates of B. aeneus were >31%, occasionally reaching >70%; for C. obstrictus, mean parasitism was >46%, reaching up to 79%, thereby providing effective biocontrol for both pest species.CONCLUSIONSpatiotemporal separation of OSR fields can reduce pest pressure without resulting in reduced parasitism of OSR pests. This supports a spatiotemporal field separation concept as an effective and sustainable technique for IPM in OSR.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal distancing of crops reduces pest pressure while maintaining conservation biocontrol in oilseed rape

Sulg

Kovács

Willow

et al. 2023

Pest Management Science

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“…Other haplotypes of A. orientalis have been identified and are being assessed to determine if differences (i.e., greater specificity) in host preferences exist (20). A well-founded criticism of host-range tests is that parasitoids are constrained in small ventilated containers spaces with easily accessible hosts for long periods of time (i.e., 24 hours to 7 days) and are unable to engage in behaviors (e.g., rapid abandonment of patches with sub-optimal hosts) that could reduce or eliminate nontarget use (49)(50)(51)(52). Consequently, in the absence of comprehensive field data on host use and non-target species -target speciesparasitoid phenology in the native range (i.e., China) from where A. orientalis was sourced, it is difficult to determine if high levels of non-target host use observed in host range tests reported here occurs in the field.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Proactive classical biological control of Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) in California (U.S.): Host range testing of Anastatus orientalis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae)

et al. 2023

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Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae), the spotted lanternfly, native to China, invaded and established in the northeast U.S. in 2014. Since this time, populations have grown and spread rapidly, and invasion bridgeheads have been detected in mid-western states (i.e., Indiana in 2021). This invasive pest presents a significant threat to Californian agriculture. Therefore, a proactive classical biological control program using Anastatus orientalis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), a L. delicatula egg parasitoid native to China, was initiated in anticipation of eventual establishment of L. delicatula in California. In support of this proactive approach, the potential host range of A. orientalis was investigated. Eggs of 34 insect species either native or non-native to the southwestern U.S. were assessed for suitability for parasitism and development of A. orientalis. Of the native species tested, 10, 13, and one were Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, and Mantodea, respectively. Of the non-native species, eight Hemiptera and two Lepidoptera were evaluated. Host range tests conducted in a quarantine facility, exposed individually mated A. orientalis females (Haplotype C) to non-target and target (i.e., L. delicatula) eggs in sequential no-choice and static choice experiments to determine suitability for parasitization and development. Additionally, the sex ratio, fertility, and size of offspring obtained from non-target and target eggs were evaluated. Results of host range testing indicated that A. orientalis is likely polyphagous and can successfully parasitize and develop in host species belonging to at least two different orders (i.e., Hemiptera, Lepidoptera) and seven families (Coreidae, Erebidae, Fulgoridae, Lasiocampidae, Pentatomidae, Saturniidae and Sphingidae). Prospects for use of A. orientalis as a classical biological control agent of L. delicatula in the southwestern U.S. are discussed.

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“…In the typical progression of a CBC programme (Figure 1), evaluation of candidate BCAs is done prior to release in a new geographical range. This evaluation involves either conducting laboratory experiments where a prospective BCA is exposed to potential nontarget hosts or prey in highly simplified and conservative biocontainment laboratory conditions (van Lenteren et al, 2006), or surveying the hosts consumed under natural conditions in the native range (Haye et al, 2005(Haye et al, , 2015. Either way, these predictions can be validated by documenting the BCA's ecological associations (biotic interactions) in the years following release (Schaffner et al, 2020).…”

Section: In Corp or Ating Me Tabarcoding In Cbcmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabarcoding and applied ecology with hyperdiverse organisms: Recommendations for biological control research

et al. 2022

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Metabarcoding is revolutionizing fundamental research in ecology by enabling large‐scale detection of species and producing data that are rich with community context. However, the benefits of metabarcoding have yet to be fully realized in fields of applied ecology, especially those such as classical biological control (CBC) research that involve hyperdiverse taxa. Here, we discuss some of the opportunities that metabarcoding provides CBC and solutions to the main methodological challenges that have limited the integration of metabarcoding in existing CBC workflows. We focus on insect parasitoids, which are popular and effective biological control agents (BCAs) of invasive species and agricultural pests. Accurately identifying native, invasive and BCA species is paramount, since misidentification can undermine control efforts and lead to large negative socio‐economic impacts. Unfortunately, most existing publicly accessible genetic databases cannot be used to reliably identify parasitoid species, thereby limiting the accuracy of metabarcoding in CBC research. To address this issue, we argue for the establishment of authoritative genetic databases that link metabarcoding data to taxonomically identified specimens. We further suggest using multiple genetic markers to reduce primer bias and increase taxonomic resolution. We also provide suggestions for biological control‐specific metabarcoding workflows intended to track the long‐term effectiveness of introduced BCAs. Finally, we use the example of an invasive pest, Drosophila suzukii, in a reflective “what if” thought experiment to explore the potential power of community metabarcoding in CBC.

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Determining the host specificity of the biological control agentTrichomalus perfectus(Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae): the importance of ecological host range

Cited by 13 publications

References 39 publications

Spatiotemporal distancing of crops reduces pest pressure while maintaining conservation biocontrol in oilseed rape

Spatiotemporal distancing of crops reduces pest pressure while maintaining conservation biocontrol in oilseed rape

Proactive classical biological control of Lycorma delicatula (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) in California (U.S.): Host range testing of Anastatus orientalis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae)

Metabarcoding and applied ecology with hyperdiverse organisms: Recommendations for biological control research

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