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This experimental study was done at the Biological Control Laboratory, Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Sakha, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt. We aimed to estimate the impact of different cold (10 °C) storage durations [0 (non-cold-stored parasitized eggs), 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, and 30 days], on Trichogramma evanescens (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) during the pupal stage using the eggs of Sitotroga cerealella after exposing to T. evanescens. The emergence percentage of non-cold-stored eggs of S. cerealella was higher than all cold-stored durations. Also, the female’s percentages of T. evanescens in the cold storage durations were lower than the non-cold storage one, and they were influenced by extended cold storage durations. There were non-significant differences in the female’s longevity of T. evanescens obtained from 0, 3, and 6 days cold-stored parasitized eggs of S. cerealella at 10 °C, but it began to decrease from those produced after 9 days of cold-stored eggs. In addition, the emergence percentage in F1 progeny of T. evanescens was greater than 50% until 21 days of cold storage. It could be concluded that cold storage reduced the % emergence, % females, female’s longevity, and emergence percentage in F1 progeny of T. evanescens. For a successful biological control program, the decrease of T. evanescens performance after cold storage durations should be considered in mass production, and the release percentage should be increased by the equivalent of a lack of % emergence. Also, the economic importance of using cold storage periods in commercial mass rearing should be assessed in the biological control program.

Species of Trichogramma Westwood, 1833 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammtidae) are frequently used as biological control agents against Lepidoptera, but practical application of these egg endoparasitoids are complicated because of their complex taxonomy. This study aimed to compare sequences of internal transcribed spacer regions of ribosomal DNA (ITS2-rDNA) of Trichogramma accessions with those deposited in GenBank in order to access the reliability of the ITS2 as a barcode for discriminating species and evaluating the genetic diversity. ITS2-rDNA sequences obtained from seventeen specimens of Trichogramma confirmed previous identifications based on morphological characteristics. Multiple sequence alignment revealed the existence of highly conserved regions in ITS2 sequences while the neighbour-joining dendrogram indicated that the specimens formed three clusters comprising T. manicobai and T. marandobai (group I), T. galloi (group II) and T. pretiosum (group III). The ITS2 marker was shown to be a powerful DNA barcode for discriminating Trichogramma species and could be used to complement the morphological approach. Resumo Espécies de Trichogramma Westwood, 1833 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) são freqüentemente usadas como agentes de controle biológico contra Lepidoptera, esses endoparasitóides de ovos apresentam taxonomia complexa, o que dificulta sua aplicação prática. Este estudo teve como objetivo comparar seqüências de regiões espaçadoras internas transcritas de DNA ribossômico (ITS2-rDNA) de acessos de Trichogramma com aquelas depositadas no GenBank, a fim de avaliar a confiabilidade do ITS2 barcode para discriminar espécies e avaliar a diversidade genética. As seqüências de ITS2-rDNA obtidas de dezessete espécimes de Trichogramma confirmaram identidades anteriores com base em características morfológicas. O alinhamento de múltiplas sequências revelou a existência de regiões altamente conservadas nas sequências ITS2, enquanto o dendrograma indicou que os espécimes formavam três grupos compreendendo T. manicobai e T. marandobai (grupo I), T. galloi (grupo II) e T. pretiosum (grupo III). O marcador ITS2 mostrou ser um poderoso DNA barcode para discriminar espécies de Trichogramma podendo ser usado como complemento da abordagem morfológica.

Anagrus atomus (L.) is an egg parasitoid used for the biological control of Empoasca vitis (Goethe) in vineyards. Sex pheromones play a crucial role in mate finding process of several parasitoid species and could be used for monitoring under field conditions. We carried out lab and field studies aiming at assessing the existence and identity of a possible A. atomus sex pheromone. We found that males were significantly attracted by virgin female independently from female age. Males were not attracted from individuals of the same sex but they were attracted by crude extract of an unmated female and its polar fraction. Eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphenol) was identified as the attractive substance and proved to be attractive not only in the olfactometer but also in another laboratory bioassay and under field conditions. Attraction of males, but not females, confirms that this is not an aggregation pheromone. This is the first sex-pheromone component identified in Mymaridae but more compounds could be involved in the mating behaviour of A. atomus. The utility of a sex pheromone in A. atomus is discussed in the context of fitness returns.

Surveys with sentinel eggs of Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in southern California retrieved two parasitoids that were not previously known to be associated with this stink bug, Trissolcus hullensis and T. utahensis (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). Molecular and morphological analysis of these specimens is used to modify the concept of T. utahensis and assess the factors that contribute to intraspecific variation. We provide an updated couplet to separate T. utahensis from a morphologically similar species, T. cosmopeplae.

Halyomorpha halysis an invasive, widespread stink bug for which only short-term solutions are currently available for pest control worldwide. The need for long-term management solutions forH. halyshas driven studies on augmentative and classical biological control of this species, especially by its egg parasitoids. Numerous investigations in Asia, USA, and Europe on native and exotic egg parasitoids ofH. halys, and the effects on non-target pentatomids, have improved the global knowledge of parasitoid-host relationships, uncovered new associations, and led to the discovery of new species. This trend continues withAcroclisoides sinicus, a pteromalid that was described in the 1980’s from Asia. In this work we report recent findings of this species in North America and Europe. Moreover, we propose thatAcroclisoides solussyn. nov., a species described originally from the USA, is conspecific withA. sinicusbased on morphological and molecular analysis.

In the Atlas cedar forests located on the northern massifs of the Blidean Atlas and at the eastern extension of the Saharan Atlas, 79 egg batches of processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermuller, 1775) were collected during the summer period from two sites: Chrea National park (46), and Ouled Yagoub forest (33). To assess the effect of the egg batches characteristics on the parasitism, the eggs were monitored after the hatching of the larvae and/or the emergence of the parasitoids. The average number of eggs/batches in the Ouled Yagoub site (184 eggs) was significantly higher than of the population of Chrea (151). Data analysis showed that the means comparisons of the hatched and unhatched number of eggs between the two sites were significant. In the case of the population of Chrea, the egg mass was laid in the form of a cylinder on twigs of relatively small diameters while for the population of Ouled Yagoub eggs were laid in the form of plates on twigs of larger diameter, thus more exposed to parasitoids. For the two populations, three active egg parasitoids were identified: Ooencyrtus pityocampae (Mercet, 1921) (Encyrtidae), Baryscapus servadeii (Domenichini,1965) (Eulophidae), and Trichogramma embryophagum (Hartig, 1838) (Trichogrammatidae), the most dominant. These parasitoids were heterogeneously distributed on the egg batches collected in the cedar’s plantation of the Chrea, but homogeneously on the egg batches collected in the Ouled Yagoub cedar forest. The activity and distribution of parasitoids on the egg-laying surface are influenced by the form on the branch chosen by the female.

The species of the genus Phanuromyia Dodd, 1914, belonging to the subfamily Telenominae are egg parasitoids of planthoppers belonging to the families Issidae, Flatidae, Fulgoridae and Ricaniidae (Hemiptera: Fulguroidea). So far eleven species of Phanuromyia are known from India. Fifteen new species of Phanuromyia Dodd are described here: P. chalukyasp. nov., P. cherasp. nov., P. cholasp. nov., P. gangasp. nov., P. hoysalasp. nov., P. kadambasp. nov., P. kakatiyasp. nov., P. kanvasp. nov., P. nirvighnasp. nov., P. pallavasp. nov., P. pandyasp. nov., P. rashtrakutasp. nov., P. satavahanasp. nov., P. tuluvasp. nov. and P. vakatakasp. nov. A key to females of all the Indian species of Phanuromyia is provided.

The life cycle of stink bug, Glyphepomis dubia and the development of two egg parasitoids (Telenomus podisi and Trissolcus basalis) were studied at the Federal University of Maranhão, at 26 ± 2oC, relative humidity (RH) of 60 ± 10% and 12h photophase. Individuals used in the study were collected from seven rice fields located around the municipality of Arari, Maranhão, Brazil, and maintained in greenhouse and laboratory for the life cycle studies. From egg to adult, G. dubia took 35.2 days to complete the life cycle. The oviposition period was 37 days, with egg masses of about 12 eggs each and viability of 93.1%. Longevity was 53 and 65 days for females and males, respectively. The egg parasitoids Te. podisi and Tr. basalis parasitized and developed in G. dubia eggs; however, the biological characteristics of Tr. basalis were affected. Emergence of the parasitoids was higher for Te. podisi (83.5%) compared to the records for Tr. basalis (50.4%). Therefore, G. dubia may potentially achieve a pest status and Te. podisi is a promising biological control agent for G. dubia management in Brazil due to its higher longevity and better reproductive parameters. Resumo O ciclo de vida do percevejo, Glyphepomis dubia e a biologia de dois parasitoides de ovos (Telenomus podisi e Trissolcus basalis) foram estudados na Universidade Federal do Maranhão, a 26 ± 2oC, umidade relativa (UR) de 60 ± 10% e fotofase de 12h. Sete indivíduos de G. dubia foram coletados em lavoura de arroz localizada no município de Arari, Maranhão, Brasil e mantidos em casa de vegetação e laboratório para estudos de ciclo de vida. Do ovo ao adulto, G. dubia levou 35.2 dias para completar o ciclo de vida. O período de oviposição foi de 37 dias com massas de ovos com cerca de 12 ovos/massa e viabilidade de 93.1%. A longevidade foi de 53 e 65 dias, respectivamente, para fêmeas e machos. Os parasitoides de ovos, Te. podisi e Tr. basalis parasitaram e se desenvolveram em ovos de G. dubia, no entanto as características biológicas de Tr. basalis foi afetada. A emergência dos parasitoides foi maior para Te. podisi (83.5%) em comparação com o registrado para Tr. basalis (50.4%). Portanto, G. dubia poderá apresentar potencial para atingir o status de praga e Te. podisi é um promissor agente de controle biológico para ser utilizado no manejo de G. dubia no Brasil, pois apresentou maior longevidade e os melhores parâmetros reprodutivos.

Aprostocetus brevipedicellus, a eulophid gregarious egg parasitoid of lepidopterous pests, is a potential biological control agent for the control of many forest pests. A dominant factitious host, Antheraea pernyi, has been widely used for mass rearing several parasitoids in China. However, whether A. pernyi eggs are suitable for A. brevipedicellus rearing remains unclear. Here we evaluated A. brevipedicellus parasitism and fitness of their offspring on A. pernyi eggs with five different treatments, including manually-extracted, unfertilized and washed eggs (MUW), naturally-laid, unfertilized and washed eggs (NUW), naturally-laid, unfertilized, and unwashed (NUUW) eggs, naturally-laid, fertilized and washed eggs (NFW), and naturally-laid, fertilized and unwashed eggs (NFUW). The results showed that A. brevipedicellus could parasitize host eggs in all treatments but significantly preferred MUW eggs to other treatments. Moreover, A. brevipedicellus preferred unfertilized eggs to fertilized eggs and parasitized more washed eggs than unwashed. The pre-emergence time of parasitoid offspring emerging from fertilized eggs was shorter than that from unfertilized eggs. More parasitoid offspring emerged from unwashed eggs than that from washed eggs. The offspring emergence rate was high (&gt, 95%) and also female-biased (&gt, 85%) among all egg treatments. The egg load of female parasitoid offspring emerging from MUW and NUW eggs was 30–60% higher than the remaining treatments. Overall, MUW eggs of A. pernyi are the most suitable for the mass production of A. brevipedicellus.

The effects of temperature treatments (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 ±1ºC), parasite age, host age, and availability of food on the development and reproduction of the egg parasite Trichogramma cacoeciae on Cydia pomonella eggs, were examined. The results showed that temperature had a profound effect on the mean number of parasitized eggs/females and the survival of immatures to the adult stage. Parasitization was highest on the 1st day after emergence, gradually decreasing for the next 2-10 days (depending on the temperature); it reached a peak at 25±1 ºC. The results also showed an inverse relationship between temperature, developmental time and mean adult longevity; the rate of development increased and longevity decreased with increasing temperature. The availability of food (honey) increased the parasitization rate, and the younger the host (C. pomonella eggs), the more susceptible it was to parasitization.

Trissolcus teretis has been recorded to parasitize eggs not only of Euschistus heros and Diceraeus melacanthus but also of other stink bug species in the most important soybean producing countries of South America such as Brazil, Argentina as well as other countries of the Neotropical region. Despite several studies relating to its natural incidence and parasitism, the impact of different temperatures on biology and parasitism capacity of T. teretis on eggs of E. heros and D. melacanthus is practically unknown. Considering that biological traits can be highly influenced by temperature, research on T. teretis parasitism at different temperatures and hosts is of theoretical and practical interest. We therefore evaluated T. teretis parasitism and development on eggs of E. heros and D. melacanthus at 15ºC, 20ºC, 25ºC, and 30ºC. Temperature had an impact on the parasitoid reared on eggs of both studied hosts. Although we recorded parasitism at an extreme temperature of 15ºC, these conditions are unfavorable for T. teretis parasitism, impairing parasitoid biological traits, especially survival of larvae and adult parasitism. Therefore, for application in crop fields where temperatures of 15ºC or lower are common, additional studies are necessary to investigate the possible need to increase parasitoid numbers during releases or to choose smaller intervals between multiple releases.

All species of Odontoscelio Kieffer, 1905 are imaged, with keys provided to all known males and females in this genus. Two new species, O. agnieleae sp. nov. and O. spinosus sp. nov., are described from India. The generic concept of the genus Odontoscelio is discussed. The presence of axillular spines differentiates this genus from other teleasines such as Dvivarnus Rajmohana & Veenakumari, 2011, Gryonoides Dodd, 1920 and the Trimorus carus (Nixon, 1936) species group, which possess lateral mesoscutellar spines.

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of temperature on the development of two lines of Trichogramma pretiosum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), to determine the thermal requirements of this parasitoid wasp on Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) eggs. The experiment was carried out with two lines (“Ubajara” and “Guaraciaba”, Ceará State) of T. pretiosum collected naturally parasitizing eggs of N. elegantalis in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruits. In this experiment, 40 eggs of the host N. elegantalis and 4 females of the parasitoids were used, with exposure to parasitism for 24 hours at 25 ± 1 °C, relative humidity of 70 ± 10 %, and 12-h photophase. At the end of this period, females were removed and the tubes were transferred to incubators (RH = 70 ± 10 %; 12-h photophase), exposed to 15, 20, 25, 30, or 35 °C, until emergence of the following generation of the parasitoids. The percentage of emergence, sex ratio, the number of parasitoids that emerged per egg, and cycle duration were assessed. The experiments were set up in a completely randomized experimental design with 5 treatments (temperatures) and 12 replicates. ANOVA was conducted and the means were compared by Tukey test (P < 0.05). The base temperatures were 10.77 °C and 10.86 °C and the number of generations per year were 33.29 and 35.63 for “Ubajara” and “Guaraciaba”, respectively. The study showed that temperature changed the biological parameters, and cycle duration of the “Ubajara” and “Guaraciaba” lines decreased as temperature increased. Resumen El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el impacto de la temperatura en el desarrollo de dos líneas de Trichogramma pretiosum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), para determinar los requisitos térmicos de este parasitoide en huevos de Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). El experimento se llevó a cabo con dos líneas (“Ubajara” y “Guaraciaba”, Ceará) de T. pretiosum a partir de huevos parasitarios de N. elegantalis en frutos de tomate (Solanum lycopersicum). En este experimento, se usaron 40 huevos del huésped N. elegantalis y 4 hembras de los parasitoides, con exposición al parasitismo durante 24 horas (a 25 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 10 % de HR y fotofase de 12 h). Al final de este período, se retiraron las hembras y los tubos se transfirieron a incubadoras (HR = 70 ± 10 % y fotofase de 12 h, a 15, 20, 25, 30 o 35 °C, hasta la aparición de la generación siguiente de parasitoides. Los parámetros evaluados fueron el porcentaje de emergencia, la proporción de sexos, el número de parasitoides que surgieron por huevo y la duración del ciclo. Los experimentos se establecieron en un diseño experimental completamente al azar con cinco tratamientos (temperaturas) y 12 repeticiones. Se realizó ANOVA y se compararon las medias mediante la prueba de Tukey (P < 0.05). La temperatura base fue de 10,77 y 10,86 °C y el número de generaciones por año fue de 33,29 y 35,63 para “Ubajara” y “Guaraciaba”, respectivamente. La temperatura cambió los parámetros biológicos, y la duración del ciclo de las líneas “Ubajara” y “Guaraciaba” disminuyó a medida que aumentaba la temperatura.

The corn leafhopper Dalbulus maidis (DeLong) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), transmits three important plant pathogens that adversely affect corn crop and ranges from the USA to Argentina. The vector has a rich natural enemy complex that generates high levels of parasitism, but its populations are persistent and prevalent. We characterized the oviposition sites of D. maidis on young corn plants in order to verify the hypothesis that the vector has an oviposition strategy for mitigating parasitism. Oviposition locations on plants were assessed in the laboratory and eggs within corn plants were exposed to natural parasitism in a cornfield. Eggs were located mostly laid in the unfolded leaves and were attacked by five parasitoid species. Parasitism was significantly affected by the class of leaf and the position of the egg in the leaf. Anagrus virlai Triapitsyn was the most abundant parasitoid species, which emerged significantly higher in the basal blade than other species. Our results suggest that leafhoppers minimize egg parasitism by laying their eggs within concealed locations on the plant. Fil: Luft Albarracin, Erica Beatriz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; Argentina Fil: Virla, Eduardo Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; Argentina Fil: Ordano, Mariano Andrés. Fundación Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico - Tucumán. Unidad Ejecutora Lillo; Argentina

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Within the Brassicaceae, wild as well as crop species are challenged by specialist herbivores including cabbage white butterflies (Pieris spp.). The wild crucifer Brassica nigra responds to oviposition by Pieris butterflies by the synergistic expression of two egg-killing traits. Genotypes that express a hypersensitive response (HR)-like necrosis (direct egg-killing) also emit oviposition-induced plant volatiles (OIPVs) attracting Trichogramma egg parasitoids (indirect egg-killing). This so-called double defense line can result in high butterfly egg mortalities. It remains unknown whether this strategy is unique to B. nigra or more common in Brassica species. To test this, we examined the response of different Trichogramma evanescens lines to OIPVs emitted by B. nigra and three close relatives (Brassica napus, Brassica rapa, and Brassica oleracea). Furthermore, we evaluated whether HR-like necrosis played a role in the attraction toward plant volatiles. Our results show a specificity in wasp attraction to different plant species. Three out of four plant species attracted a specific T. evanescens strain, including the crops B. rapa and B. napus. Parasitoid attraction was positively affected by presence of HR-like necrosis in one plant species. Our findings imply that, despite being a true generalist in terms of host range, T. evanescens shows intraspecific variation during host searching, which should be taken into account when selecting parasitoid lines for biocontrol of certain crops. Finally, we conclude that also crop plants within the Brassicaceae family possess egg-killing traits and can exert the double-defense line which may enable effective selection of egg-killing defense traits by cabbage breeders.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-01T18:46:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2016-04-01T18:51:40Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 ISSN0020-3653-2010-77-02-283-290.pdf: 215455 bytes, checksum: 3343dfad74854ca5f376869c802cc746 (MD5) Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de produtos fitossanitários sobre pupas de Trichogramma pretiosum. Foram conduzidos três bioensaios em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com 11 tratamentos e cinco repetições. Em cada repetição, ovos de Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller, 1879) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) foram utilizados como hospedeiro alternativo, sendo aderidos em cartelas de cartolina de 1 cm2 com solução de goma arábica à 40% e oferecidos para o parasitismo por 24h. Após 168-192h do parasitismo, quando os parasitoides estavam na fase de pupa, as cartelas foram mergulhadas por cinco segundos nos tratamentos testados. Avaliou-se a sobrevivência dos indiví- duos tratados e a redução na emergência dos parasitoides foi classificada segundo as normas da IOBC. Os inseticidas flufenoxurom (Cascade® ) 10, diflubenzurom (Dimilin® ) 20 e metoxifenozide (Intrepid 240SC® ) 21,6 e 36 g i.a. ha-1 foram classificados como inócuos. Permetrina (Valon 384 CE® ) 49,92; betaciflutrina 12,5 + imidacloprido 100 (Connect® ) e gama-cialotrina (Stallion 150SC® ) 3,75 g i.a. ha-1 foram levemente nocivos. Clorpirifós (Lorban 480BR® ) 384 e espinosade (Tracer® ) 24 g i.a. ha-1 foram moderadamente nocivos. Os herbicidas glifosato 720 + imazetapir 90 (Alteza® ); s-metolacloro (Dual Gold® ) 1920; flumioxazina (Flumyzin 500® ) 60; clomazona (Gamit® ) 1000; glifosato 2880 (Gliz 480SL® ); dicloreto de paraquate 600 + diurom 300 (Gramocil® ); glifosato 1200 (Roundup Ready® ); foram classificados como inócuos e os herbicidas 2,4-D (DMA 806BR® ) 1209; dicloreto de paraquate (Gramoxone® ) 600; glifosato (Roundup Transorb® ) 2592 g i.a. ha-1 classificados como levemente nocivos. Os fungicidas tiofanato-metílico (Cercobin 500 SC® ) 400; flutriafol 60 + tiofanato-metílico 300 (Celeiro® ); carbendazin (Derosal 500SC® ) 250; tebuconazole (Folicur EC® ) 150; flutriafol (Impact® ) 125; tebuconazole 120 + trifloxistrobina 60 (Nativo® ); epoxiconazole 30 + piraclostrobina 79,8 (Opera® ); epoxiconazole (Opus SC® ) 12,5; azoxistrobina (Priori® ) 50; azoxistrobina 60 + ciproconazole 24 (Priori Xtra® ) g i.a. ha-1 foram classificados como inócuos a T. pretiosum na fase de desenvolvimento avaliada (pupa). Dentre os produtos avaliados, aqueles classificados como inócuos devem ser priorizados no manejo integrado de pragas (MIP) por compatibilizar o uso do controle químico sem prejudicar o controle biológico. Do mesmo modo, os produtos classificados como moderadamente nocivos devem ser evitados sempre que possível ou substituídos por outro de menor impacto. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different pesticides on Trichogramma pretiosum pupae. Three tests were carried out with 11 treatments and 5 replications. Eggs of Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller, 1879) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were used as a factitious host affixed on 1cm2 pieces of cardboard using a non-noxious glue solution (40% gum arabic) and then offered to parasitism for 24 h. After 168–192 h from the parasitism, when the parasitoids were at the pupae stage, the pieces of cardboard were dipped for five seconds in the treatments. The parasitoid survival was evaluated and the emergence was classified accordingly to the IOBC guidelines. The insecticides flufenoxuron (Cascade ® ) 10, diflubenzuron (Dimilin® ) 20 and methoxyfenozide (Intrepid 240SC ® ) 21.6 and 36 g a.i. ha-1 were classified as harmless. Permethrin (Valon 384CE® ) 49.92, beta-cyfluthrin 12.5 + imidacloprid 100 (Connect® ) and gammacyhalothrin (Stallion 150SC ® ) 3.75 g a.i. ha-1 were slightly harmful. Chlorpyriphos (Lorsban 480BR® ) 384 and spinosad (Tracer® ) 24 g a.i. ha-1 were moderately harmful. The herbicides glyphosate 720 + imazetapyr 90 (Alteza® ), s-metolachlor (Dual Gold® ) 1920, flumyoxazin (Flumyzin 500® ) 60, clomazone (Gamite® ) 1000, glyphosate (Gliz® ) 2880, paraquat dichloride 600 + diuron 300 (Gramocil® ), glyphosate 1200 (Roundup Ready® ) were classified as harmless, and the herbicides 2.4-D (DMA® ) 1209, paraquat dichloride (Gramoxone® ) 600 and glyphosate (Roundup Transorb® ) 2592 g a.i. ha-1 were classified as slightly harmful. The fungicides metil tiofanate (Cercobin 500SC ® ) 400, flutriafol 60 + metil tiofanate 300 (Celeiro® ), carbendazin (Derosal 500SC® ) 250, tebuconazol (Folicur EC ® ) 150, flutriafol (Impact® ) 125, tebuconazol 120 + trifloxystrobin 60 (Nativo® ), epoxiconazol 30 + piraclostrobin 79.8 (Opera® ), epoxiconazol (Opus SC® ) 12.5, azoxystrobin (Priori® ) 50, azoxystrobin 60 + ciproconazol 24 (Priori Xtra® ) g a.i. ha-1 were harmless to T. pretiosum pupae. Among the tested products, the harmless ones should be chosen in a program of integrated pest management (IPM) since it allows the use of pesticides without harm to the biological control. On the other hand, the moderately harmful pesticides should be avoided or replaced by another product with less impact whenever it is possible. Universidade de Rio Verde, CP 104, CEP 75901-970, Rio Verde, GO, Brasil. E-mail: adeney@cnpso.embrapa.br Embrapa Soja, Londrina, PR, Brasil Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil Bolsista Pós-Doutorado CAPES/PNPD - FESURV. Universidade Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Jaboticabal, SP, Brasil

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, native to East Asia, is an invasive alien pest that arrived in Europe in the early 2000s and poses an imminent threat to a wide variety of crops. Adventive populations of the Asian egg parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus, the most promising agent for classical biological control of H. halys, have recently been detected in Italy and Switzerland. Its prospective fundamental host range in Europe was evaluated in behavioural no-choice tests, followed by large-arena choice tests presenting host plants with naturally laid egg masses of target and non-target hosts. Developmental suitability of European non-target host species for T. japonicus was demonstrated, via no-choice tests, by offspring emergence (successful parasitism) from eleven out of thirteen non-target species tested (85%). Whereas successful parasitism of most non-target species was significantly lower, acceptance of Arma custos, Palomena prasina, Pentatoma rufipes, and Rhaphigaster nebulosa was not significantly different from H. halys controls. When eggs of H. halys and non-target species were exposed in a semi-natural situation in large-arena choice tests, the degree of non-target parasitism was substantially reduced for three out of four tested species, whereas parasitism of Pa. prasina eggs was not. It remains unclear if there are behavioural barriers to parasitism that may exist and preclude excessive parasitism of potentially threatened species in the field, but field data from the invaded areas in Switzerland and Italy could contribute to a risk–benefit evaluation of releasing or re-locating adventive T. japonicus populations into other parts of Europe.

The egg parasitoid complex of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) was surveyed for the first time on the Thasos Island, Greece. A total of 96 egg batches containing 20391 eggs were collected between 06 and 10 of September, 2017 from Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis) at four sites (Skidia, Thimonia, Alyki and Panagia). Four primary parasitoids were identified (Ooencyrtus pityocampae, Baryscapus servadeii, Anastatus bifasciatus and Trichogramma sp.), as well as the hyperparasitoid B.transversalis. Among the parasitoids groups, O.pityocampae was the most common, followed by B. servadeii, whilst the number of other species was low. The highest survival rate was reported for three species: O. pityocampae, B. servadeii and A. bifasciatus, while the highest was the mortality in Trichogramma sp. All emerged adults of O. pityocampae and B. servadeii were female specimens and in A. bifasciatus – males. The number of females of B.transversalis was three times higher than the one of males. Ooencyrtuspityocampae and B. servadeii were the most important parasitoids of T.pityocampa, destroying respectively 27.1% and 9.9% of the host eggs.

Japanese species of themuscaeforme-group,charon-group, andfloridanum-group ofGryonhave been revised. Among the species of themuscaeforme-group,G. fulvicoxasp. nov.is newly described.Gryon mishaKozlov & Kononova,syn. nov.is considered a junior synonym ofG. japonicum(Ashmead).Gryon maruzzaeMineo,syn. nov.andG. sugonjaeviKozlov & Kononova,syn. nov.are considered junior synonyms ofG. yamagishiiMineo. Among the species of thecharon-group,G. shisasp. nov.is newly described.Gryon hakonense(Ashmead)syn. nov.is considered as a junior synonym ofG. philippinense(Ashmead). Among the species of thefloridanum-group,G. pennsylvanicum(Ashmead) is recognized. Host records of the three species groups are also revised.

Bioassays to evaluate the selectivity of pesticides to beneficial organisms are important tools to discriminate products compatible with biological pest control programs. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the main insecticides used in the soybean crop on the egg parasitoid Ooencyrtus submetallicus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). The tested treatments (active ingredients) were: methomyl, lambda-cyhalothrin + thiamethoxam, beta-cyfluthrin + imidacloprid, novaluron and teflubenzuron, in the highest doses indicated by the manufacturer for the soybean crop, and a control treatment (water). The evaluations enabled to calculate the mortality and parasitism capacity of adults exposed to the pesticides, in addition to the sex ratio of their descendants. Methomyl and lambda-cyhalothrin + thiamethoxam were classified as Class 4 (harmful), beta-cyfluthrin + imidacloprid as Class 3 (moderately harmful), and novaluron and teflubenzuron as Class 1 (harmless). The products classified as Class 3 and Class 4 should, as much as possible, be replaced by insecticides selective to O. submetallicus.

The use of chemical insecticides and non-selective natural products authorized for use in organic farming may reduce the effectiveness of egg parasitoids. The side-effects of ten plant essential oils on immature stages of Trichogramma pretiosum were evaluated. Carapa guianensis, Origanum vulgare and Zingiber officinalle during the F1 generation, and Azadirachtin and Mentha piperita in the F2 generation were slightly harmful (class II: 30–79%) to the emergence of this parasitoid. All essential oils affected the longevity of females of the F1 and F2 generations. Thymus vulgaris and Z. officinalle were the oils most harmful to female longevity. Carapa guianensis proved slightly harmful (class II: 30–79%) to parasitism in the F1 generation when applied during the egg-larval and pre-pupal stages and O. vulgare in the F1 generation in the pre-pupal stage alone, of this parasitoid. The sex ratio was lower than 0.5 during the pre-pupal stage of the F1 generation with Azadirachtin, C. guianensis, O. vulgare, Piper nigrum and Syzigium aromaticum, but this parameter was not affected for the other biological stages of T. pretiosum in the F1 and F2 generations. The Azadirachtin, C. guianensis, M. piperita, O. vulgare, T. vulgaris and Z. officinalle oils revealed a mild toxic effect to the immature stages of T. pretiosum and, therefore, it should be used according to patterns of ecological selectivity. Allium sativum and Citrus sinensis essential oils were not harmful to T. pretiosum, and can be used in Integrated Pest Management.

In order to control lepidopteran and coleopteran insects, the genes expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal proteins have been transferred into crops. Ecological risk assessments of the transgenic plants have included impacts on non-target entomophagous insects, such as parasitoid wasps. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles are considered to be important defensive traits of plants because these compounds play as an important role in recruitment of natural enemies. Here, we evaluated induced volatile emissions of maize seedlings of two Bt cultivars (5422Bt1, event Bt11 and 5422CBCL, event Mon810), and their nearly isogenic non-Bt line 5422. We damaged plants mechanically and then applied with the regurgitant of Spodoptera litura (F.) caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), or treated the plants with the plant hormone jasmonic acid (JA), to trigger similar defensive responses of plants. Compared to the non-Bt isoline 5422 and the Bt maize 5422CBCL, the other Bt maize 5422Bt1 released more (3E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene (DMNT) when they were all treated by artificial wounds and caterpillar regurgitant; and released more linalool, DMNT and (E)-β-farnesene when applied with JA solution. As a result, the total volatile emission of the 5422Bt1 was highest. However, the difference in volatile emission did not affect the attractiveness of the Bt maize plants to the egg parasitoid Trichogramma ostriniae Pang et Chen (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) compared to the nearly isogenic non-Bt plants. The variability of induced volatiles of maize cultivars derived from conventional breeding programs and transgenic methods are discussed.

Stink bugs are pests of economic importance of extensive crops (commodities) in the Neotropics, particularly in Southern South America. They are abundant, have a broad geographical distribution, and cause severe damage. Main species include the Neotropical brown-stink bug, Euschistus heros (F.), the red-banded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood), the Southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.), the green-belly stink bugs, Dichelops furcatus (F.), and D. melacanthus (Dallas), and the brown-winged stink bug, Edessa meditabunda (F.). The management of these pest species on crops is complex because they can cause economic damage in low numbers, and it is difficult to control by the commonly used insecticides. Therefore, biological control appears as the most important tactic to be implemented in stink bug management programs. Among the many natural enemies present on the various agroecosystems, egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera) and parasitoids of adult stink bugs (Diptera and Hymenoptera) are the most promising groups to be exploited as biological control agents of pest species. Despite attempts in the past, implementation of biological control of stink bugs on major commodities in Southern South America still remains at a low level of adoption, and its high potential is, generally, underestimated. In this review article, we present extensive data from the literature on the two main groups of biological control agents referred above. Moreover, we discuss ways to promote biological control as the most important tactic to manage stink bugs in Southern South America. Keywords Heteroptera · Pentatomidae · Adult parasitoids · Egg parasitoids · Southern South America Made available in DSpace on 2020-03-02T18:07:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ZerbinoPanizzi2019ArticleTheUnderestimatedRoleOfPestPen.pdf: 1465570 bytes, checksum: 635b3c67c64985ca070d98811df8ccaa (MD5) Previous issue date: 2019

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stal), native to East Asia, emerged as an invasive pest in Europe in the 2000s. In its native range, Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead) is the dominant egg parasitoid of H. halys, and thus it has been considered for classical biological control in countries invaded by the pest. A survey of native egg parasitoids conducted in 2017 and 2018 with frozen, sentinel egg masses of H. halys revealed that T. japonicus was already present in apple orchards in the Canton Ticino, Switzerland. Trissolcus japonicus was recovered in both years and from three different sites. In total, 17 egg masses were recovered from which 42 adult parasitoids emerged. A genetic analysis using the barcode mitochondrial DNA confirmed the morphological identification of T. japonicus and evidenced a best match of the “Ticino populations” to Japanese populations, but the pathways of entry remain unknown.

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, is an Asian agricultural pest that has invaded both the American continent and Europe. In its native range, H. halys populations are well regulated by natural enemies, with Trissolcus japonicus being the most abundant species. In Europe, the egg parasitoid Anastatus bifasciatus is the most common species parasitizing H. halys eggs. In this PhD thesis I evaluated its potential for augmentative biological control against H. halys in Europe. Investigations on the life history of A. bifasciatus are described in chapter 2. In chapter 3, the host range of A. bifasciatus was examined. Interspecific interactions with another potential European biological control agent of H. halys, Ooencyrtus telenomicida, were evaluated in chapter 4. Experimental releases of A. bifasciatus were conducted over three years in Swiss and Italian fruit orchards, described in chapter 5. The development and testing of a PCR-based screening tool for Anastatus species is addressed in chapter 6. In 2017 and 2018, the first adventive populations of T. japonicus in Europe could be recorded in chapter 7.

Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), native to East Asia, has become a globally invasive pest, as a serious threat to agricultural production and a notorious nuisance pest in urban areas. Considerable efforts have been made so far to develop effective pest control measures to prevent crop damage. Biological control of this invasive stink bug by egg parasitoids has proven to be the most environmentally sustainable long-term solution. Knowledge of the native egg parasitoid fauna is of key importance when implementing a biological control program. Therefore, the main objective of our study was to detect egg parasitoid species associated with H. halys in the Goriška region (Western Slovenia) and to evaluate their impact on the pest population under field conditions. In the years 2019 and 2020, around 4600 H. halys eggs were collected in the wild and more than 3400 sentinel eggs were exposed to detect parasitoids in the field. Five egg-parasitoid species emerged from H. halys eggs: Anastatus bifasciatus (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), Telenomus sp., Trissolcus basalis, Trissolcus mitsukurii (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and Ooencyrtus telenomicida (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), all of them are new records for Slovenia. The native species, An. bifasciatus, dominated in urban and suburban areas, while non-native Tr. mitsukurii prevailed in agricultural areas. Overall parasitism rates of naturally laid eggs by the parasitoid species complex in 2019 and 2020 was 3.0 and 14.4%, respectively. Rapid recruitment of native parasitoids, early detection of an effective alien parasitoid species and increasing overall parasitism rates are very encouraging results, which need to be followed and verified in future research.

The monotypic genus Nyleta was described by Dodd from Australia in 1926, with Nyleta striaticeps Dodd as the type species. A new species of Nyleta is now described and imaged from the remote island of Little Andaman in the Andaman and Nicobar group of Islands in the Indian Ocean. Variants of the same species were also collected from Tamil Nadu. The images of the holotype of N. striaticeps are also provided for the first time.

Telenomus and Trichogramma species stand out as agents for the biological control in rice crops, and the main strategy for preserving them is the use of selective pesticides. This study aimed at evaluating the toxicity of pesticides used in irrigated rice crop on Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) and Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Adults of these parasitoids were exposed to dry residues of pesticides, in a completely randomized experiment, with 25 treatments (24 pesticides + control) and four replications. The insecticides clorantraniliprole, flubendiamide and diflubenzuron and the biological insecticides based on Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae were harmless to T. podisi and T. pretiosum. The harmless herbicides were: 2.4-D amine, profoxydim, quinclorac, ethoxysulfuron and saflufenacil. The fungicide epoxiconazole + kresoxim-methyl was also harmless to these two biological control agents. Therefore, these pesticides are indicated for the integrated pest management, in flooded rice areas. RESUMO Espécies de Telenomus e Trichogramma destacam-se como agentes de controle biológico em áreas orizícolas, e a principal estratégia para sua preservação é a utilização de agrotóxicos seletivos. Objetivou-se avaliar a toxicidade de agrotóxicos utilizados em áreas de arroz irrigado sobre Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) e Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Adultos desses parasitoides foram expostos a resíduos secos de agrotóxicos, em experimento inteiramente casualizado, com 25 tratamentos (24 agrotóxicos + testemunha) e quatro repetições. Os inseticidas clorantraniliprole, flubendiamida e diflubenzurom e os inseticidas biológicos à base de Beauveria bassiana e Metarhizium anisopliae foram inócuos para T. podisi e T. pretiosum. Os herbicidas inócuos foram: 2,4-D amina, profoxidim, quincloraque, etoxissulfurom e saflufenacil. O fungicida epoxiconazol + cresoxim-metílico também foi inócuo para esses dois agentes de controle biológico. Portanto, esses agrotóxicos são indicados para o manejo integrado de pragas, em áreas de arroz irrigado.

The cryopreservation of noctuid eggs in liquid nitrogen has proved be a promising tool in the mass production of Trichogramma, however studies into this technique have only just begun. This study evaluated the response of different densities of the female of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley to the parasitism of Mythimna sequax eggs stored and not stored in liquid nitrogen, and the performance of females reared only in cryopreserved eggs. The study evaluated the influence of the number of T. pretiosum females (4, 8 and 12) released to parasitise 40 M. sequax eggs, stored and not stored for 15 days in liquid nitrogen, as well as the performance of T. pretiosum females reared in eggs stored for three generations and females reared in non-stored eggs. Parasitism by T. pretiosum in stored eggs was 84%, twice the value obtained in previous studies. The emergence of parasitoids was greater than 95% in both experiments. The performance of females raised in stored eggs did not differ from that of females raised in non-stored eggs. The data show that the technique of cryopreservation of M. sequax eggs may be a viable alternative in the mass production of T. pretiosum.

This study was conducted to determine whether various food resources enhanced the longevity and fecundity of the egg parasitoid Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko, 1968 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) under laboratory conditions (25°C, 65% RH, 16L:8D h photoperiod) at Laboratory of Biological Control, Department of Plant Protection, Agriculture Faculty, Namık Kemal University in 2014. Newly hatched female wasps were fed on Ephestia kuehniella Zeller, 1879 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs with either honey, grape molasses and royal jelly as a main food, alone or double combination of this main foods or supplemented with resin (derived from plants), acacia nectar, Paulownia nectar, red tulip nectar, yellow asphodel nectar, apple syrup, liquid of E. kuehniella eggs or mashed E. kuehniella larvae. Trichogramma brassicae, females that were fed on honey and acacia nectar (17.47 d), honey + apple syrup (17.20 d), honey (16.93 d) and honey + Paulownia nectar (16.60 d) lived significantly longer than females that fed on other floral nectars and artificial diets. Females were fed on royal jelly + mashed E. kuehniella larvae (1.40 d) had the shortest longevity. Trichogramma brassicae females that were fed on honey (106.8 eggs), honey + acacia nectar (105.4 eggs), Paulownia nectar (103.13 eggs) parasitized significantly more hosts than females that fed on other floral nectars and artificial diets. Females fed on royal jelly were had the lowest parasitizing ability (3.33 eggs). These results showed that providing T. brassicae with honey, honey + acacia nectar, honey + apple syrup resulted in greater longevity and total fecundity than other food resources., Bu çalışma, çeşitli besin kaynaklarının yumurta parazitoiti Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko, 1968 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)’e etkilerinin araştırılması amacıyla Namık Kemal Üniversitesi, Ziraat Fakültesi, Bitki Koruma Bölümü, Biyolojik Mücadele Laboratuvarı’nda laboratuvar koşullarında (25°C sıcaklık, %65 nem, 16:8 saat (aydınlık: karanlık) aydınlanma periyodu) 2014 yılında yürütülmüştür. Ergin dişi bireyler, değirmen güvesi Ephestia kuehniella Zeller, 1879 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) yumurtaları üzerinde ana besin (bal, üzüm pekmezi ve arı sütü) ve ara besin (reçine (bitkilerden salgılanan), akasya nektarı, çin kavağı nektarı, kırmızı lale nektarı, sarızambak nektarı, elma şurubu, E. kuehniella yumurta sıvısı ve ezilmiş E. kuehniella larvası) ve bu ana besinlerin ikili kombinasyonları ile beslenmiştir. Bal + akasya nektarı (17.47 gün), bal + elma şurubu (17.20 gün), bal + çin kavağı nektarı (16.60 gün) ile beslenen bireylerin diğer besin ve nektar ile beslenen bireylere göre daha uzun yaşadığı belirlenmiştir. En kısa ömür ise arı sütü + ezilmiş E. kuehniella larvası (1.40 gün) ile beslenen bireylerde görülmüştür. Çalışma sonucunda toplam parazitlenen yumurta sayısı, bal (106.8 yumurta), bal + akasya nektarı (105.4 yumurta), çin kavağı nektarı (103.13 yumurta) ile beslenen bireylerde ve belirgin olarak diğer besin ile beslenen bireylerin parazitledikleri yumurta sayılarından fazla bulunmuştur. Arı sütü ile beslenen bireylerin parazitledikleri yumurta sayısı (3.33 yumurta) en düşük olarak belirlenmiştir. Bu sonuçlar, T. brassicae'ye bal, bal + akasya nektarı, bal + elma şurubu verilmesinin diğer gıda kaynaklarına göre daha uzun ömür ve toplam doğurganlık sağladığını göstermiştir.

International audience; Allochrony that is reproductive isolation by time may further lead to divergence of reproductive adaptive traits in response to different environmental pressures over time. A unique summer population of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa, reproductively isolated from the typical winter populations by allochronic differentiation, is here analyzed. This allochronically shifted population reproduces in the spring and develops in the summer, whereas winter populations reproduce in the late summer and have winter larval development. Both summer and winter populations coexist in the same pine stands, yet they face different climatic pressures as their active stages are present in different seasons. The occurrence of significant differences between the reproductive traits of the summer population and the typical winter populations (either sympatric or allopatric) is thus hypothesized. Female fecundity, egg size, egg covering, and egg parasitism were analyzed showing that the egg load was lower and that egg size was higher in the summer population than in all the studied winter populations. The scales that cover the egg batches of T.pityocampa differed significantly between populations in shape and color, resulting in a looser and darker covering in the summer population. The single specialist egg parasitoid species of this moth was almost missing in the summer population, and the overall parasitism rates were lower than in the winter population. Results suggest the occurrence of phenotypic differentiation between the summer population and the typical T.pityocampa winter populations for the life-history traits studied. This work provides an insight into how ecological divergence may follow the process of allochronic reproductive isolation.

The research was conducted to analyze the diversity, dispersal and domination of the egg parasitoid species of the yellow rice stem borer Scirpophaga incertulas Walker on several land typologies in Jambi Province. The study was conducted by survey method, from December 2010 until June 2011. Samples of egg parasitoids of S. incertulas were collected by baiting parasitoids with eggs of S. incertulas. The results of the research showed that there were three spesies of the egg parasitoids of S. incertulas found in Jambi Province, the most dominant was Telenomus rowani Gahan, followed by Trichogramma japonicum Ashmead and Tetrastichus schoenobii Ferriere. T. rowani and T. japonicum were found in all wetland ecosystems in Jambi Province (tidal swamp, swampy area, rainfed lowland, lowland technical irrigation, and upland technical irrigation), while T. schoenobii was found only in tidal swamp, swampy area, and lowland technical irrigation. The highest species diversity of egg parasitoid of S. incertulas was found on tidal swamp (Shannon index 1.047), followed by swampy area, lowland technical irrigation, rainfed and upland technical irrigation area. The average of proportion of egg masses parasitized by T. rowani, T. japonicum and T. Schoenobii were 22.58, 6.18 and 2.68% respectively. The average of individual eggs parasitized by T. rowani, T. schoenobii, and T. japnicum were 8.41, 1.67 and 1.47% respectively.

Summary 1. In their natural environment, plants are faced with a multitude of attackers, of which insect herbivores and plant pathogens are an important component. In response to these attacks, plants release volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which play an important role in the communication between plants and the associated community members, such as other herbivores, phytopathogens and the natural enemies of herbivores. 2. While numerous studies have focused on either plant–pathogen or plant–insect interactions, less is known when these two sets of interactions co-occur. Depending on the mode of attack of the pathogen (necrotroph vs. biotroph) or herbivore (chewing vs. piercing-sucking) they will activate different defence pathways in the plant in which the phytohormones salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene (ET) play key roles. As these pathways can crosstalk, a pathogen infection can interfere in a plant’s defence response to herbivory, and vice versa. 3. Infestation of a plant with organisms inducing SA signalling prior to – or simultaneously with – attack by organisms that induce the JA pathway often suppresses JA signalling. However, the impact of this signalling pathway crosstalk on VOC induction is not clear cut, as there is high variability in the effects on volatile emissions, ranging from suppression to enhanced emission. The effects of the modified volatile blends on the foraging success of carnivorous natural enemies of herbivorous insects have started to be investigated. Foraging success of natural enemies generally withstands this modification of the host-induced VOC blend, but the presence or absence of key compounds is an important determinant of the response of certain carnivores. 4. Further studies incorporating plant–insect and plant–pathogen interactions at different levels of biological integration will provide valuable insight in how plants integrate signals from different suites of attacking organisms into an adaptive defence response.

The introduction of an exotic species may alter food webs within the ecosystem and significantly affect the biodiversity of indigenous species at different trophic levels. It has been postulated that recent introduction of the brown marmorated stinkbug (Halyomorpha halys (Stål)) represents an evolutionary trap for native parasitoids, as they accept H. halys egg masses as a host but produce no viable progeny. Interspecific interactions between European egg parasitoid, Trissolcus cultratus (Mayr), and an Asian parasitoid, Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead), were assessed by providing egg masses to T. cultratus at various time intervals following the initial parasitization by T. japonicus. The suitability of the host for the parasitoid development was re‐assessed by providing T. cultratus with fresh and frozen egg masses of various ages. The likelihood of T. cultratus being able to attack previously parasitized egg masses was determined by assessing the duration of egg mass guarding behavior by T. japonicus following parasitization. The results of experiments examining the interspecific interactions between a native European egg parasitoid, T. cultratus, and an Asian parasitoid, T. japonicus (a candidate for the biological control of H. halys), showed that the native species can act as facultative hyperparasitoid of the exotic one. Although this is only possible during certain stages of T. japonicus development, the presence of the introduced parasitoid may reduce the impact of the evolutionary trap for indigenous parasitoid species. There is a possibility that the occurrence of facultative hyperparasitism between scelionid parasitoids associated with stinkbugs is common. This resulting intraguild predation could promote conservation and stabilization of natural communities by impacting the diversity and population dynamics of native stinkbugs and their parasitoids (e.g., by allowing native parasitoids to avoid wasting reproductive effort on unsuitable hosts), or reduce success of biological control programs (e.g., by reducing the population size of the exotic parasitoids).

Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is an invasive, polyphagous pest that has been detected in 42 U.S. states. In 2010, it caused millions of dollars in crop damages to apple growers on the East Coast, where it arrived from Asia during the 1990s. In 2002, BMSB was reported in California; since then, it has been detected in 28 counties and is established in at least nine counties. Although this pest has not yet been found on commercial crops in the state, detections of BMSB in commercial orchards have been documented in Oregon and Washington. Proactive research in California has joined national efforts led by U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers to develop a classical biological control program for BMSB. A study is under way to determine potential non-target effects of a specialist egg parasitoid, Trissolcus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), imported from Beijing, China, part of the home range of BMSB. In addition, the role of BMSB natural enemies residing in California is being assessed. A review of the recent research outlines the possible opportunities for reducing the threat BMSB poses to California.

Due to a growing demand of food production worldwide, new strategies are suggested to allow for sustainable production of food with minimal effects on natural resources. A promising alternative to the application of chemical pesticides is the implementation of crops resistant to insect pests. Plants produce compounds that are harmful to a wide range of attackers, including insect pests; thus, exploitation of their natural defense system can be the key for the development of pest‐resistant crops. Interestingly, some plants possess a unique first line of defense that eliminates the enemy before it becomes destructive: egg‐killing. Insect eggs can trigger (1) direct defenses, mostly including plant cell tissue growth or cell death that lead to eggs desiccating, being crushed or falling off the plant or (2) indirect defenses, plant chemical cues recruiting natural enemies that kill the egg or hatching larvae (parasitoids). The consequences of plant responses to eggs are that insect larvae do not hatch or that they are impeded in development, and damage to the plant is reduced. Here, we provide an overview on the ubiquity and evolutionary history of egg‐killing traits within the plant kingdom including crops. Up to now, little is known on the mechanisms and on the genetic basis of egg‐killing traits. Making use of egg‐killing defense traits in crops is a promising new way to sustainably reduce losses of crop yield. We provide suggestions for new breeding strategies to grow egg‐killing crops and improve biological control.

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is the most important pest of cultivated Brassica species worldwide, including several greenhouse crops, such as cauliflower seed crops. With the aim of selecting a candidate strain from the Trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) for the control of diamondback moth in cauliflower greenhouses, we assessed the dispersal capacity of eight trichogrammatid strains, using sticky traps in a greenhouse cauliflower crop with a simplified structure. We determined the percentage of females trapped at various distances from the release point on various numbers of days after release. The results obtained were compared with the theoretical trapping probability. A dispersal index, weighted mean distance, was also calculated. Trichogramma chilonis Ishii from Reunion Island and T. ostriniae Pang & Chen from Japan dispersed most rapidly and over the greatest distances. The five best strains (T. chilonis from Japan and Reunion Island, T. evanescens Westwood from Egypt, T. ostriniae from Japan and T. semblidis Aurivillius from France) were then tested in realistic conditions of a cauliflower seed crop grown in a greenhouse. In both the studies carried out, T. chilonis from Reunion Island gave the highest percentage of females trapped and trichogrammatid dispersal capacity decreased with increasing crop density. These findings have implications for integrated pest management in cauliflower seed crops grown in the greenhouse

Triteleia peyerimhoffi comb. n. (Kieffer, 1906) is redescribed taking into account its great variability and is considered the senior synonym of Triteleia dubia (Kieffer, 1908), Calliscelio lugens (Kieffer, 1910) and Triteleia striolata Kononova & Petrov, 2000 (syn. n.). Neotypes are designated for T. dubia and T. peyerimhoffi. Triteleia peyerimhoffi is a new record for Greece, France and Croatia and was reared for the first time from eggs of Orthoptera laid in the dead wood of Quercus sp. and Tilia sp. in Romania.

International audience; Trichogramma spp. are major parasitoids of lepidopteran pest eggs, but there is large variation in efficacy toward a given pest among the numerous described Trichogramma species. It is important to select the Trichogramma species that most effectively parasitize and develop in target pest eggs for biological control. In this context, Trichogramma pretiosum, T. exiguum, T. atopovirilia and T. acacioi were studied in Heliothis virescens eggs under different thermal conditions. The parasitoids were reared at constant temperatures of 20, 25 and 30A degrees C and tested at these respective temperatures, while parasitoids reared at 25A degrees C were also tested at 20 and 30A degrees C, for a total of 20 species-temperature combinations. About 30 H. virescens eggs were offered to the parasitoids for 24 h. Among the four species, parasitism rate by T. atopovirilia was highest at all temperature conditions, whereas T. acacioi had the lowest rates of parasitism at 25A degrees C and 25/30A degrees C. Parasitism ranged from 13.8 to 43.8% among all species-temperature combinations. Viability (emerged parasitoids) ranged from 80.8 to 98.4%, and was deemed satisfactory. The emergence rates of T. exiguum and T. acacioi were affected by temperature. Temperature also affected the sex ratio of T. exiguum at 25/30A degrees C, whereas T. pretiosum and T. acacioi produced females predominantly independent of temperature. Overall, the parasitoid T. atopovirilia was the most efficient in parasitizing H. virescens eggs, though the levels of parasitism obtained might not ensure its successful use in biological control programs. The temperature-related differences in biological traits observed in the four Trichogramma species tested hint at the importance of making careful choices regarding climatic conditions where the parasitoid is going to be used when selecting a species for biological control programs.

International audience; The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is the most important pest of cultivated Brassica worldwide, including those grown in greenhouses like cauliflower. In this article, we evaluate the potential of various species (and various strains of some species) of Trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) to control this pest on cauliflower in greenhouse in France. We assessed the parasitism levels on P. xylostella of 17 Trichogrammatidae strains, belonging to 12 different species (2 indigenous strains from France), under greenhouse conditions. Parasitism levels for each of the Trichogrammatidae species and strains were determined on cauliflower leaves (Brassica oleracea botrytis L., Brassicaceae) infested with P. xylostella eggs. Nine strains parasitized 60% (or more) of the P. xylostella eggs. Compared to previous results in laboratory conditions, climatic conditions of the greenhouse did not influence parasitism levels. The presence of the cauliflower plants may have a positive effect on eight strains, a negative effect on four strains and no effect on five strains. Our study points out the importance of including the host plant of P. xylostella when conducting studies aiming to select the most efficient parasitoid against this pest.

Parasitic wasps employ a wide range of chemical cues to find their hosts. Very recently, we discovered how 2 closely related egg parasitoids, Trichogramma brassicae and Trichogramma evanescens, exploit the anti-aphrodisiac pheromone benzyl cyanide of one of their hosts, the gregarious large cabbage white butterfly Pieris brassicae that deposits a clutch of more than 20 eggs per oviposition bout. The pheromone is transferred by male butterflies to females during mating to enforce female monogamy. On detecting the anti-aphrodisiac, the tiny parasitic wasps ride on a mated female butterfly to a host plant and then parasitize her freshly laid eggs. The present study demonstrates that both wasp species similarly exploit the anti-aphrodisiac mixture of methyl salicylate and indole of another host, the more common solitary small cabbage white butterfly Pieris rapae that deposits only one egg at a time. Interestingly, this behavior is innate in T. brassicae, whereas T. evanescens learns it after one successful ride on a mated female butterfly. Moreover, we show that the wasps only respond to the anti-aphrodisiacs of the 2 cabbage white butterflies when the ubiquitous compounds are part of a complete mated female odor blend. Obviously, parasitic wasps use the sophisticated espionage-and-ride strategy to find eggs of different gregarious and solitary host species. From the wasps' perspective there seems to be a trade-off between the abundance and egg-laying behavior of the butterflies. Our findings suggest that Pieris butterflies are under strong selective pressure to minimize the use of an anti-aphrodisiac. Copyright 2010, Oxford University Press.

Masnerium wellsae Polaszek, gen. n., sp. n. is described from Merbein, Victoria, Australia. It is a primary endoparasitoid of the whitefly Aleuroduplidens wellsae Martin, described from the same type locality with identical collection data. Masnerium is most closely related to the genera Aleyroctonus Masner & Huggert, and Aphanomerus Perkins, but differs from both these genera in several morphological characters that are of primary importance at genus level in the Sceliotrachelinae.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as características biológicas dos parasitóides Trichogrammatoidea annulata, Trichogramma atopovirilia e Trichogramma bruni, criados em hospedeiros alternativos durante diferentes gerações, para selecionar o melhor hospedeiro para a criação massal desses parasitóides. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 3x3 (três hospedeiros - Anagasta kuehniella, Corcyra cephalonica e Sitotroga cerealella - e três gerações - 1ª, 10ª e 28ª). Avaliaram-se: o total de ovos parasitados por fêmea; a longevidade de fêmeas e machos; a duração do período ovo-adulto; a razão sexual; e a viabilidade dos parasitóides. Os parasitóides Trichogrammatoidea annulata e Trichogramma bruni apresentaram melhores resultados em C. cephalonica. Para Trichogramma atopovirilia, o hospedeiro alternativo é C. cephalonica ou A. kuehniella. O hospedeiro S. cerealella foi o menos adequado para as três espécies de parasitóides. Os tricogramatídeos avaliados apresentaram capacidade adaptativa aos hospedeiros alternativos preferenciais, ao longo das gerações. The objective of this work was to assess the biological characteristics of the parasitoids Trichogrammatoidea annulata, Trichogramma atopovirilia e Trichogramma bruni, reared on factitious hosts, through different generations, in order to select the best host for parasitoid mass rearing. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design, in a 3x3 factorial arrangement (three hosts - Anagasta kuehniella, Corcyra cephalonica and Sitotroga cerealella - and three generations - 1st, 10th and 28th). Evaluations were made for: the total parasitized eggs by each female; viability; longevity of male and female; duration of the egg-adult period; sexual ratio; and viability of the parasitoids. The parasitoids Trichogrammatoidea annulata and Trichogramma bruni showed better development on C. cephalonica. For Trichogramma atopovirilia, the factitious host can be either C. cephalonica or A. kuehniella. The host S. cerealella was the least indicated for the three parasitoids species. The evaluated trichogrammatids showed adaptative capacity to their preferential factitious host, through generations.

Neste trabalho foi estudada a biologia de Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera, Trichogrammatidae) "linhagem bonagota" criado em ovos de Bonagota salubricola (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae), determinando-se as exigências térmicas e o número de gerações do parasitóide para diferentes regiões produtoras de maçã do Rio Grande do Sul e Santa Catarina. Ovos de B. salubricola com 24 horas de idade foram submetidos ao parasitismo de T. pretiosum durante 24 horas, sendo posteriormente transferidos para câmaras climatizadas reguladas nas temperaturas de 18, 20, 22, 25, 28, 30 e 32ºC. A duração do ciclo biológico (ovo-adulto) foi significativamente influenciada pela temperatura variando de 8,18 a 18,12 dias a 32 e 18°C, respectivamente. A porcentagem de emergência dos parasitóides foi maior (66,2%) a 22°C. A razão sexual de T. pretiosum variou de 0,61 a 0,72 não sendo influenciada pela temperatura. A maior relação de parasitóides/ovo foi encontrada a 30°C (1,41). A constante térmica (K) e a temperatura base (Tb) foram de 187,7 graus dias e 7,42ºC, respectivamente. O número estimado de gerações anuais de T. pretiosum para os municípios de Fraiburgo e São Joaquim, SC e Vacaria, RS foi de 17,5; 11,6 e 16,8, respectivamente. The biology of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera, Trichogrammatidae) "strain bonagota" reared in eggs of Bonagota salubricola (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) was studied in laboratory estimating the thermal requirements and the number of annual generations in some apple production regions of the Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina States. Eggs of B. salubricola were submitted to parasitism by T. pretiosum for 24h, and transferred to incubators regulated to 18, 20, 22, 25, 28, 30 and 32ºC. The duration of the biological cycle (egg-adult) was influenced by temperature ranging from 8.18 to 18.12 days at 32 and 18°C, respectively. The parasitoid emergency was higher (66.2%) at 22°C. The sex ratio of T. pretiosum ranged from 0.61 to 0.72 being not influenced by temperature. The highest relation of parasitoids/egg was found at 30°C (1.41). The thermal constant (k) and the threshold temperature (Tb) was 187.7 degrees days and 7.42ºC, respectively. The number of annual generations estimated for T. pretiosum for Fraiburgo and São Joaquim, SC and Vacaria, RS was 17.5; 11.6 and 16.8, respectively.

When searching for hosts on a plant, female parasitoids use strategies to maximize efficiency. Searching strategies include the expressed behaviors, the time budget associated with each behavior, the time allocated to the different plant parts and the exploration sequence of plant parts. Searching efficiency refers to the time taken to find the first egg, the number of eggs found per foraging time unit and the re-encountering frequency of eggs during a foraging period. This study examines the effect of artificial simple (few leaves and connections) and complex plant structures (more leaves and connections) on searching strategy and searching efficiency of the egg parasitoid Trichogramma turkestanica Meyer (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Analyses of frequency and duration of behaviors associated with searching on artificial plants of different complexities were performed. Plant structure had no effect on time associated with locomotion behaviors such as walking, standing and flying. However, it had an impact on the area searched, which was significantly greater on simple plant structure. Also, time spent on a leaf without encountering an egg was greater on complex plant structure compared to simple one. No significant differences were found between simple and complex plant structures regarding time spent walking on the different plant parts such as twigs, limbs, leaf perimeters, and limbs of inferior and superior leaf sides. Results showed that female parasitoids spent less time actively exploring complex than simple plants. Encountering and re-encountering frequencies of eggs were significantly greater on simple than on complex plant structure. Plant structure had no effect on handling time of eggs. This study demonstrates that plant structure can modulate activities inherent to searching and ovipositing, which in turn affects area searched per foraging time unit and therefore host finding success.