Immunity of an Alternative Host Can Be Overcome by Higher Densities of Its Parasitoids Palmistichus elaeisis and Trichospilus diatraeae

Abstract

Interactions of the parasitoids Palmistichus elaeisis Delvare & LaSalle and Trichospilus diatraeae Cherian & Margabandhu (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) with its alternative host Anticarsia gemmatalis (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) affect the success or failure of the mass production of these parasitoids for use in integrated pest management programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the cellular defense and encapsulation ability of A. gemmatalis pupae against P. elaeisis or T. diatraeae in adult parasitoid densities of 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 or 13 parasitoids/pupae. We evaluated the total quantity of circulating hemocytes and the encapsulation rate versus density. Increasing parasitoid density reduced the total number of hemocytes in the hemolymph and the encapsulation rate by parasitized pupae. Furthermore, densities of P. elaeisis above 5 parasitoids/pupae caused higher reduction in total hemocyte numbers. The encapsulation rate fell with increasing parasitoid density. However, parasitic invasion by both species induced generally similar responses. The reduction in defensive capacity of A. gemmatalis is related to the adjustment of the density of these parasitoids to their development in this host. Thus, the role of the density of P. elaeisis or T. diatraeae by pupa is induced suppression of cellular defense and encapsulation of the host, even without them possesses a co-evolutionary history. Furthermore, these findings can predict the success of P. elaeisis and T. diatraeae in the control of insect pests through the use of immunology as a tool for evaluation of natural enemies.

Trichogramma pretiosum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) Parasitism of Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Eggs Under Different Temperatures

“…The variability in reproductive success may be related to inadequate proportions of female parasitoids per host, which reduced oviposition and toxin injections necessary to reduce the immune response of the host (Andrade et al 2010;Cusumano et al 2010;Harvey et al 2013). In contrast, the parasitism and emergence ratios of P. elaeisis from B. mori pupae were similar with different densities of this parasitoid, suggesting that B. mori did not present nutritional or physiological barriers for the development of P. elaeisis .…”

“…Palmistichus elaeisis Delvare & LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) parasitizes and develops in Lepidoptera pupae of the families Arctiidae , Bombycidae , Crambidae (Bittencourt & Berti-Filho 2004;Chichera et al 2012), Lymantriidae (Tavares et al 2011;Zaché et al 2012), Muscidae (Zaché et al 2013), Noctuidae (Bittencourt & Berti-Filho 2004;Andrade et al 2010;Pereira et al 2013), Nymphalidae (Tavares et al 2013a), Notodontidae (Zanuncio et al 2015), Papilionidae (Tavares et al 2013b), and Saturniidae ; it also develops in Coleoptera pupae of the family Tenebrionidae . Furthermore, this parasitoid was recorded in pupae of Thyrinteina arnobia Stoll and Thyrinteina leucoceraea Rindge (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), which characterizes it as a potential biological control agent in Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) plantations .…”

Oogenesis pattern and type of ovariole of the parasitoid Palmistichus elaeisis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

“…Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Thyrinteina arnobia (Stoll) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) (Bittencourt andBerti Filho 2004, Pereira et al 2008) and Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) (zanuncio et al 2008). This ability of P. elaeisis to develop in different hosts may be related to immune suppression that occurs with these hosts after the oviposition of parasitoids possibly due to immunoregulatory substances present in the ovary of this parasitoid (Andrade et al 2010b).…”

Biological characteristics of Palmistichus elaeisis Delvare & Lasalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on refrigerated pupae of Anticarsia gemmatalis Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

“…Anticarsia gemmatalis Hubner, 1818 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) has a short life cycle, it can be reared on artificial diet, and the pupae are hosts for development of P. elaeisis (Bittencourt and Berti-Filho, 1999;Andrade et al, 2010;Pereira et al, 2010). However, the conservation of this host at low temperatures has not yet been studied and for this reason the present study was developed.…”

“…Biological characteristics of Palmistichus elaeisis Delvare & LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on refrigerated pupae of Anticarsia gemmatalis Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) INTRODUCTION Delvare & LaSalle, 1993 (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a parasitoid with potential for use in the control of Lepidoptera of economic importance (Pereira et al, 2010), which has been reported in insects of the families Arctiidae (Zaché et al, 2012a), Bombycidae (Pereira et al, 2009), Crambidae (Bittencourt and Berti-Filho, 2004;Chichera et al, 2012), Noctuidae (Bittencourt and Berti-Filho, 1999;Andrade et al, 2010), and Lymantriidae (Zaché et al, 2012b).…”