1. Assessing the distribution of exotic egg parasitoids of Halyomorpha halys in Europe with a large-scale monitoring program
- Author
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Giuseppino Sabbatini-Peverieri, Lorenza Michelon, Gianfranco Anfora, Simone Bardella, Luca Benvenuto, Silvia T. Moraglio, Paolo Culatti, M. G. Tommasini, Martino Salvetti, Giacomo Vaccari, Luciana Tavella, Elena Costi, Alda Butturini, Giorgio Malossini, S. Caruso, Livia Zapponi, Silvia Schmidt, Alberto Mele, Emanuele Di Bella, Pietro Zandigiacomo, M. Bariselli, Iris Bernardinelli, Davide Scaccini, Francesco Tortorici, Ruggero Colla, David Szalatnay, Leonardo Marianelli, Martina Falagiarda, Lucrezia Giovannini, M. Preti, Lara Maistrello, Tim Haye, Cristina Marazzi, Alberto Pozzebon, and Pio Federico Roversi
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,biological control ,BMSB ,exotic biological control agents ,invasive species ,natural enemies ,Trissolcus japonicus ,Trissolcus mitsukurii ,Natural enemies ,Biological pest control ,Zoology ,Parasitism ,Generalist and specialist species ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Article ,Invasive species ,Parasitoid ,lcsh:Science ,Brown marmorated stink bug ,biological control, BMSB, exotic biological control agents, invasive species, natural enemies, Trissolcus japonicus, Trissolcus mitsukurii ,biology ,biology.organism_classification ,Monitoring program ,010602 entomology ,Habitat ,Settore AGR/11 - ENTOMOLOGIA GENERALE E APPLICATA ,Insect Science ,Biological control ,Exotic biological control agents ,lcsh:Q - Abstract
Simple Summary The management of invasive alien species is a very challenging task. For the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys), classical biological control has been identified as the most suitable method to sustainably reduce its populations in the long-term. Among its natural enemies, two species were identified as the most promising candidates for biocontrol, Trissolcus japonicus and Trissolcus mitsukurii. Populations of these two species have recently been detected in Europe and to assess their distribution, a large-scale study was performed. Combining several monitoring methods, in four months (May–September 2019), a wide area covering northern Italy and parts of Switzerland was surveyed. The results showed that both species have spread into all types of habitats where H. halys is present and the parasitization of native species was rarely observed. Among native species, Anastatus bifasciatus was the predominant parasitoid of H. halys. This study supported the development of the first release program of Tr. japonicus in Europe. Abstract The brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys is an invasive agricultural pest with a worldwide distribution. Classical biological control has been identified as the most promising method to reduce the populations of H. halys. Adventive populations of two candidates for releases, Trissolcus japonicus and Trissolcus mitsukurii, have recently been detected in Europe. To assess their distribution and abundance, a large-scale survey was performed. From May to September 2019, a wide area covering northern Italy and parts of Switzerland was surveyed, highlighting the expanding distribution of both Tr. japonicus and Tr. mitsukurii. Within four years after their first detection in Europe, both species have rapidly spread into all types of habitats where H. halys is present, showing a wide distribution and continuous expansion. Both exotic Trissolcus showed high levels of parasitism rate towards H. halys, while parasitization of non-target species was a rare event. The generalist Anastatus bifasciatus was the predominant native parasitoid of H. halys, while the emergence of native scelionids from H. halys eggs was rarely observed. The presence of the hyperparasitoid Acroclisoides sinicus was also recorded. This study provided fundamental data that supported the development of the first inoculative release program of Tr. japonicus in Europe.
- Published
- 2021