Population dynamics and species composition of maize field parasitoids attacking aphids in northeastern China

Abstract

Maize, Zea mays L., is the most abundant field crop in China. Aphids are the most economically damaging pest on maize, particularly in the maize agri-ecosystems of Jilin Province, northeastern China. Parasitic wasps are important natural enemies of aphids, but limited information exists about their species composition, richness and seasonal dynamics in northeastern China. In this study, the population dynamics of maize aphids and parasitoid wasps were assessed in relation to each other during the summer seasons of two consecutive years, 2018 and 2019. We selected maize fields in the Changchun, Songyuan, Huinan and Gongzhuling areas of Jilin Province. Four species of aphids were recorded from these maize fields: Rhopalosiphum padi (L), Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), Aphis gossypii Glover and Macrosiphum miscanthi (Takahashi). The dominant species in each of the four areas were R. maids (Filch) and R. padi in Changchun, R. padi in Songyuan, A. gossypii and R. padi in Huinan, and A.gossypii and R. padi in Gongzhuling. We delineated a species complex made up of primary parasitoids and hyperparasitoids associated with maize aphids. The primary parasitoids Lysiphlebus testaceipes, Binodoxys communis and Aphelinus albipodus together formed approximately 85.3% of the parasitoid complex. Pachyneuron aphidis, Phaenoglyphis villosa, Syrphophagus taeniatus and Asaphes suspensus made up the hyperparasitoids. Of the primary parasitoids, L. testaceipes was the dominant species (81.31%). Of the hyperparasitoid group, P. villosa was the dominant species (68.42%). Parasitism rates followed the fluctuation of the aphid population. The highest parasitic rate was observed during the peak period of cotton aphids. In this paper, the occurrence dynamics and dominant species of aphids and the dynamics of parasitic natural enemies of aphids in maize fields in Jilin Province are, for the first time, systematically reported. This study provides important information for the establishment and promotion of aphid biological control in maize fields.

Do primary and secondary host plants affect aphid- parasitoid interactions in fruit orchards?

“…Many natural enemies such as predators from the family Coccinellidae (Coleoptera), Syrphidae (Diptera) and Chrysopidae (Neuroptera), parasitoids from the subfamily Aphidiinae (Braconidae) and the family Aphelinidae (Hymenoptera) and pathogens contribute to the success of the biological control of aphids (Völkl et al ., 2007). Of these, parasitoid species such as Aphidius matricariae (Haliday) and Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Aphidiinae) can cause significant parasitism rates on some aphid species and they are successfully used in the biological control of aphid pests on agricultural crops (Boivin et al ., 2012; Rezaei et al ., 2019; Zhang et al ., 2020). Parasitoid species belonging to the subfamily Aphidiinae are solitary koinobiont endoparasitoids which lay a single egg into the soft body of aphids (Völkl and Mackauer, 2000) and the most significant and investigated groups due to their crucial role in biological control as the natural enemies of aphid pests.…”

Functional analysis of odorant-binding proteins for the parasitic host location to implicate convergent evolution between the grain aphid and its parasitoid Aphidius gifuensis

“…However, wasp parasitism rates are relatively low when evaluated in an open ecosystem like the field. For example, the highest parasitism rate of aphids in maize fields was only 1.79 % in Jilin Province, China [102], and the calculation of the parasitism ratio of S. miscanthi is estimated to be between 10 % and 15 % [103][104][105]. A. gossypii showed a similar phenomenon, approximately between 10 % and 20 % [100].…”

Molecular Data Confirm Interspecific Limits of Four Alloxysta and One Phaenoglyphis Species of Parasitic Wasps within the Subfamily Charipinae (Cynipoidea: Figitidae)

“…Members of the hymenopteran subfamily Charipinae (Cynipoidea: Figitidae) are secondary parasitoids (hyperparasitoids) of aphids via Aphidiinae (Braconidae) and Aphelinidae (Chalcidoidea), and of psyllids via Encyrtidae (Chalcidoidea) [11]. Charipine hyperparasitoids frequently attack biological control agents [12][13][14][15][16], and the suppression exerted on the populations of primary parasitoids has been demonstrated in greenhouses [17,18] and likely occurs in the field as well [11]. Thus, taxonomic studies within the Charipinae are important from the standpoint of biological control programs, in which accurate species identification can be problematic.…”