Impact of heteroptera pentatomidae feeding and oviposition on photosynthesis of herbaceous plants and egg parasitoids host location

The present study was designed to examine the effect of heteroptera pentatomidae feeding and/or oviposition on photosynthesis. Murgantia histrionica and Nezara viridula were fed on Brassica and Phaseolus plants, respectively. The changes in photosynthetic gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were followed immediately after the feeding as well as during the post-feeding period (24, 48 and 72 h). Murgantia feeding caused visible damage on leaf lamina, whereas this was not the case with Nezara feeding. In both cases a substantial decrease (50%) in photosynthesis was observed, which was partially restored only in Phaseolus plants by the end of the experiment. By using high resol…

A sex pheromone triggers courtship behaviour in the egg parasitoid Trissolcus brochymenae

Effect of dual biotic stress on plant volatile synomones used by egg parasitoids

Studies on semiochemical communication have demonstrated that broad bean plant, Vicia faba, emits volatile synomones induced by feeding and oviposition activities of the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula, which recruit the egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis. However plants growing in agro-ecosystems can be attacked by several herbivore species that could affect both above and belowground plant tissues with possible consequences for parasitoid recruitment. For example, broad bean plants can also be attacked by the leaf weevil, Sitona lineatus, and simultaneous attacks by the southern green stink bug and the leaf weevil can occur in agro- ecosystems. The purpose of this work was to inv…

La localizzazione dell’ospite nei parassitoidi oofagi: il ruolo delle cere epicuticolari delle piante

La localizzazione dell’ospite nei parassitoidi oofagi è il risultato di un complesso comportamento di foraggiamento influenzato prevalentemente da stimoli di natura fisica e chimica. I segnali chimici (semiochimici) possono derivare dall’interazione tra la pianta e l’uovo ospite (sinomoni indotti dall’ovideposizione), dall’uovo tal quale (cairomoni diretti) e/o da stadi diversi da quello di uovo, come per esempio l’adulto (cairomoni indiretti). I sinomoni indotti con l’ovideposizione, capaci di richiamare i parassitoidi delle uova ancor prima che il fitofago possa causare danni, sono un efficace esempio del coinvolgimento “diretto” della pianta nel processo di localizzazione dell’ospite da …

A survey on features of allergic rhinitis in children

Objective: A number of epidemiologic studies evaluated the prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR), but few data are available on its different clinical presentations. We addressed this survey to assess the features of AR in children and adolescents. Methods: Thirty-five centers in Italy included 2623 pediatric patients with rhinitis, of whom 2319 suffered from AR, while 304 had other kinds of rhinitis. For each patient a standardized questionnaire was filled in, including ARIA classification, the duration of symptoms, the allergen identified as clinically relevant, the co-morbidities, the kind of treatment, the response to treatment, the satisfaction with the treatment, and the feasibility of…