Effects of constant and fluctuating temperatures on development of the coconut hispine beetle,Brontispa longissima(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and two species of parasitoid

Abstract

The larval parasitoid Asecodes hispinarum Bouček has been used to control the coconut hispine beetle, Brontispa longissima (Gestro) in Vietnam. Although A. hispinarum has succeeded in suppressing B. longissima in southern Vietnam, biocontrol has not succeeded in central Vietnam. One factor underlying this failure might be the high temperature during the hot season. In the present work, we examined whether A. hispinarum parasitises the beetles within the range of temperatures that occur during the hot season in central Vietnam and we evaluated the potential use of the pupal parasitoid Tetrastichus brontispae Ferrière. Development of the beetle and two parasitoids was investigated at two constant temperatures (28 and 308C) and at fluctuating temperatures from 25 to 358C (corresponding to temperatures during the hot season in central Vietnam). B. longissima reached adulthood in all the temperature treatments. More than 70% of A. hispinarum emerged from hosts at 288C, but none emerged at 308C or under fluctuating temperature conditions, indicating that A. hispinarum cannot be used as a biological control agent in central Vietnam. However, T. brontispae could reproduce the next generation at all temperatures. These results suggest that T. brontispae is a potential agent for continuous biological control of B. longissima in central Vietnam.

A review of the status of the larval parasitoid, <i>Asecodes hispinarum</i> Boucek, and of the pupal parasitoid, <i>Tetrastichus brontispae</i> Ferriere (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), as biological control agents of the coconut leaf beetle, <i>Brontispa longissima</i> (Gestro) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), in the Asia-Pacific Region

“… The longest mean developmental time was 23.8 days while the shortest was 16.5 day at 28 °C (Htwe et al, 2013).…”

“…The successful locations included Celebes (Indonesia), Tahiti, Solomon Islands, Western Samoa (Volgele, 1989), Taiwan (Chiu and Chen, 1985), Vietnam (Viet, 2004) and China (Li et al, 2008). Many other countries, including Thailand and Maldives, are actively mass rearing and releasing the two species of parasitic wasps against B. longissima Fu and Xiong, 2004;Htwe et al, 2013;Pundee et al, 2009;Shafia, 2004;Sindhusake and Amporn, 2004).…”

“…Table 1 below highlights the successful attributes of some biological agents. (Neuenschwander, 2001) Biology and mass rearing of the larval parasitoid, A. hispinarum has been conducted under laboratory conditions by several authors in various countries (Sindhusake and Amporn, 2004;Htwe et al, 2013;Lu et al, 2005aLu et al, , 2005bLu et al, , 2008Sun et al, 2011;Tang et al, 2006Tang et al, , 2007aTang et al, , 2007bPundee, 2009;and Viet, 2004). In 2006, the mass rearing of both species of wasp was initiated in the Entomology and Nematology laboratory, Plant Health Laboratory Department, Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA).…”

Impacts of climate change and host plant availability on the global distribution of Brontispa longissima (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

“…Information on the current global distribution of B. longissima was compiled from three sources: Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) databases, European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), and published literature (Fig. (A)) . Distribution records of host plants in the family Arecaceae were obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the distribution data were filtered using the spThin package in R to obtain a better distribution (Fig.…”

“…1(A)). 1,[38][39][40] Distribution records of host plants in the family Arecaceae were obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the distribution data were filtered using the spThin package 41 in R 42 to obtain a better distribution ( Fig. 1(B)).…”