Parasitoid abundance on plants: effects of host abundance, plant species, and plant flowering state

Kishinevsky, Miriam; Keasar, Tamar; Bar‐Massada, Avi

doi:10.1007/s11829-016-9476-2

Cited by 17 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 45 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…We further hypothesized that the response to weed management would differ among parasitoid species, due to their diverse habitat preferences and resource requirements, leading to changes in parasitoid community composition between treatments. This would be in accordance with previous data from pomegranate orchards in Israel [ 34 , 35 ]. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental test of the effects of herbicide use on parasitoid communities in vineyards.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…For instance, plants of the genus Chenopodium , which include herbicide-resistant weeds and were dominant in our herbicide-treated plots ( Supplementary Materials, Table S2 ), were previously reported to attract Telenomus species [ 53 ]. Similarly, in pomegranate orchards, another widespread crop in Mediterranean regions, parasitoid abundance showed species-specific responses to plant-related variables [ 34 , 35 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Effect of Weed Management on the Parasitoid Community in Mediterranean Vineyards

Möller

Keasar

Shapira

et al. 2020

Biology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Enriching agroecosystems with non-crop vegetation is a popular strategy for conservation biocontrol. In vineyards, the effects of specific seeded or planted cover crops on natural enemies are well-studied, whereas conserving spontaneously developing weeds received less attention. We compared parasitoid communities between matched pairs of vineyard plots in northern Israel, differing in weed management practices: “herbicide”, repeated herbicide applications vs. “ground cover”, maintaining resident weeds and trimming them when needed. Using suction sampling, we assessed the parasitoids’ abundance, richness, and composition during three grape-growing seasons. Ground cover plots had greater parasitoid abundances and cumulative species richness than herbicide-treated plots, possibly because of their higher vegetation cover and richness. Dominant parasitoid species varied in their magnitude and direction of response to weed management. Their responses seem to combine tracking of host distributions with attraction to additional vegetation-provided resources. Parasitoid community composition was mildly yet significantly influenced by weed management, while season, year, and habitat (weeds vs. vine) had stronger effects. Vineyard weeds thus support local biocontrol agents and provide additional previously demonstrated benefits (e.g., soil conservation, lower agrochemical exposure) but might also attract some crop pests. When the benefits outweigh this risk, weed conservation seems a promising step towards more sustainable agricultural management.

show abstract

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Weed Management on the Parasitoid Community in Mediterranean Vineyards

Möller

Keasar

Shapira

et al. 2020

Biology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In the current study, strong seasonal rains that preceded the first sampling event contributed to the development of dense natural vegetation, especially on the wadi floor. These plants could have potentially attracted and supported parasitoids, providing them with floral nectar, insect hosts, and other resources [ 5 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ]. Later in the season, herbaceous vegetation in the natural habitats had mostly dried out, and the vineyard habitat possibly became more attractive for parasitoids.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parasitoid Abundance and Community Composition in Desert Vineyards and Their Adjacent Natural Habitats

Segoli

Kishinevsky

Rozenberg

et al. 2020

Insects

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Parasitoids are important natural enemies of many agricultural pests. Preserving natural habitats around agricultural fields may support parasitoid populations. However, the success of such an approach depends on the ability of parasitoids to utilize both crop and natural habitats. While these aspects have been studied extensively in temperate regions, very little is known about parasitoid communities in desert agroecosystems. We took one step in this direction by sampling parasitoids in six vineyards and their surrounding natural desert habitat in a hyper-arid region of the Negev Desert Highlands, Israel. We predicted that due to the high contrast in environmental conditions, parasitoid abundance and community composition would differ greatly between the crop and the natural desert habitats. We found that parasitoid abundance differed between the habitats; however, the exact distribution pattern depended on the time of year—with higher numbers of parasitoids in the natural habitat at the beginning of the vine growth season and higher numbers in the vineyard at the middle and end of the season. Although parasitoid community composition significantly differed between the vineyard and desert habitats, this only accounted for ~4% of the total variation. Overall, our results do not strongly support the notion of distinct parasitoid communities in the crop vs. the desert environment, suggesting that despite environmental contrasts, parasitoids may move between and utilize resources in both habitats.

show abstract

“…For example, natural enemies (NEs) that predate or parasitize insect pests can be a key component of sustainable pest management [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. NEs benefit from non-crop plants in agricultural systems through the provision of shelter, nectar, and pollen for effective biological control [ 11 , 16 , 17 ]. It is possible to optimize the pest management contribution of NEs by managing field margin plants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most studies focus on NE and the floral resource requirements in a specific context; either the benefit of the plants on NE in a controlled environment (e.g., cage), or whether the NE interact in the field with the margin plants and enhance NPR [ 11 , 12 , 16 , 17 ]. However, combining this information could help to better understand which plants will be most valuable in specific approaches supporting conservation biological control.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Field Margin Plants Support Natural Enemies in Sub-Saharan Africa Smallholder Common Bean Farming Systems

Ndakidemi

Mbega

Ndakidemi

et al. 2022

Plants

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Flower-rich field margins provide habitats and food resources for natural enemies of pests (NEs), but their potential, particularly in the tropics and on smallholder farms, is poorly understood. We surveyed field margins for plant-NE interactions in bean fields. NEs most often interacted with Bidens pilosa (15.4% of all interactions) and Euphorbia heterophylla (11.3% of all interactions). In cage trials with an aphid-infested bean plant and a single flowering margin plant, the survival of Aphidius colemani, the most abundant parasitoid NE in bean fields, was greater in the presence of Euphorbia heterophylla than Bidens pilosa, Tagetes minuta, and Hyptis suaveolens. UV-fluorescent dye was applied to flowers of specific field margin plant species and NE sampled from within the bean crop and field margins using sweep-netting and pan-traps respectively. Captured insects were examined for the presence of the dye, indicative of a prior visit to the margin. Lady beetles and assassin bugs were most abundant in plots with B. pilosa margins; hoverflies with T. minuta and Parthenium hysterophorus margins; and lacewings with T. minuta and B. pilosa margins. Overall, NE benefitted from field margin plants, and those possessing extra floral nectaries had an added advantage. Field margin plants need careful selection to ensure benefits to different NE groups.

show abstract

Parasitoid abundance on plants: effects of host abundance, plant species, and plant flowering state

Cited by 17 publications

References 45 publications

Effect of Weed Management on the Parasitoid Community in Mediterranean Vineyards

Effect of Weed Management on the Parasitoid Community in Mediterranean Vineyards

Parasitoid Abundance and Community Composition in Desert Vineyards and Their Adjacent Natural Habitats

Field Margin Plants Support Natural Enemies in Sub-Saharan Africa Smallholder Common Bean Farming Systems

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About