Search results for " Biological control"
showing 10 items of 40 documents
Contrasting behavioural responses of two egg parasitoids to buckwheat floral scent is reflected in field parasitism rates
2017
The use of food supplements in conservation biological control (CBC) programmes is considered an essential element for increasing parasitoid fitness and their population density leading to an increase in overall parasitism levels. However, non-crop habitats that substitute the necessary resources for natural enemies have not always achieved the desired effects. It is suggested that the composition of flower strips in agricultural systems around/in agricultural fields plays an important role because not all plant species are equally suitable and the consumption of food resources by parasitoids can shape direct and indirect interactions with other arthropods and the community complex. We deve…
Intrinsic competition between two European egg parasitoids of the brown marmorated stink bug
2020
Following the accidental introduction and spread of the invasive polyphagous agricultural pest Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), the two European egg parasitoids Anastatus bifasciatus (Geoffroy) (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) and Ooencyrtus telenomicida (Vassiliev) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) have been investigated for inundative biological control. Since the competititve outcome between the two generalist parasitoids is difficult to predict, intrinsic competition was investigated with a time-course development study. Both species readily oviposited in H. halys eggs containing eggs and early instar larvae of the competitor, but oviposition decreased when eggs contained late insta…
FIRST RECORD IN ITALY OF PSYLLAEPHAGUS BLITEUS RIEK (Hymenoptera Encyrtidae) PARASITOID OF GLYCASPIS BRIMBLECOMBEI MOORE (Hemiptera Psyllidae)
2011
Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek (Hymenoptera Encyrtidae), parasitoid of the red gum lerp psyllid Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore (Hemiptera Psyllidae), has been recorded for the first time in Italy in September 2011. The arrival of P. bliteus in Sicily is due to an accidental introduction, probably together with its host, as already happened in New Zealand, Brazil, Spain and Morocco.
Risk assessment of non-target effects of Closterocerus chamaeleon (Girault) parasitoid of the eucalypt gall maker Ophelimus maskelli (Ashmead) (Hymen…
2015
The pre-release risk assessment, a recommended practice in biological control programmes, was carried out before introducing Closterocerus chamaeleon (Girault), a eulophid parasitoid of the eucalypt gall maker Ophelimus maskelli (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae), in Sicily, Italy. We evaluated its host specificity in laboratory small arena no-choice tests on six non-target hosts, using O. maskelli as a control species. The non-target species fit with at least one of the following criteria: a) common geographical origin; b) ecological or behavioural affinities with the target host; c) concealed habit of the preimaginal stages; d) taxonomic affinity; e) taxonomic affinity with hosts of cong…
Influence of Bacterial Secondary Symbionts in Sitobion avenae on Its Survival Fitness against Entomopathogenic Fungi, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhiz…
2022
The research was focused on the ability of wheat aphids Sitobion avenae, harboring bacterial secondary symbionts (BSS) Hamiltonella defensa or Regiella insecticola, to withstand exposure to fungal isolates of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium brunneum. In comparison to aphids lacking bacterial secondary symbionts, BSS considerably increased the lifespan of wheat aphids exposed to B. bassiana strains (Bb1022, EABb04/01-Tip) and M. brunneum strains (ART 2825 and BIPESCO 5) and also reduced the aphids’ mortality. The wheat aphid clones lacking bacterial secondary symbionts were shown to be particularly vulnerable to M. brunneum strain BIPESCO 5. As opposed to wheat aphids carrying bacterial s…
Hemocytes of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier)(Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and their response to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Bacillus thuringiensis
2011
Originally from tropical Asia, the Red Palm Weevil (RPW Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) is the most dangerous and deadly pest of many palm trees, and there have been reports of its recent detection in France, Greece and Italy. At present, emphasis is on the development of integrated pest management based on biological control rather than on chemical insecticides, however the success of both systems is often insufficient. In this regard, RPW appears to be one pest that is very difficult to control. Thus inves- tigations into the natural defences of this curculionid are advisable. RPW hemocytes, the main immuno- competent cells in the insect, are described for the first time. We identifie…
Convergence and divergence in organization of phytoplankton communities under various regimes of physical and biological control
2010
The hypothesis that physical constraints may be as important, if not more important, than biological ones in shaping the structure of phytoplankton assemblage was tested by analyzing longterm (11–29 years) phytoplankton series in eight lakes and nine sites located along a latitudinal gradient in the Northern hemisphere. Phytoplankton biomass was used and similarity of assemblages in same months of the annual data sets was then calculated by subtracting the Bray–Curtis dissimilarity index from 1. The extent of biological and physical forcing was partly based on ‘‘expert evaluation’’: the importance of four physical (light availability, temperature, conductivity, and sediment stirring up) and…
Physiological engineering of Pseudomonas aurantiaca antimicrobial activity: effects of sodium chloride treatment
2012
The influence of sodium chloride (NaCl) treatment on the antifungal activity of the bacterium Pseudomonas aurantiaca, a producer of biopesticide for vegetable plants, was investigated. It was shown that an increase in the NaCl concentration in incubation solutions from 1 M to 3 M led to a significant increase in the antifungal activity of this bacterium. Antifungal activity continued to increase with prolonged treatment of bacteria in fresh nutrient medium from 72 h to 96 h. These findings could be very important for the further development of biotechnological processes directed not only to the production of new active biopesticides but also of other valuable resources.
Wild olive seed weevil in South Africa, Anchonocranus oleae Marshall (Coleoptera Curculionidae), a rediscovery after a century
2019
The wild olive seed weevil, Anchonocranus oleae Marshall, 1912 was not found after its description and the study of its biology by Silvestri in 1915. Recently, A. oleae larvae were found alive inside the kernels of wild olives (O. europaea subsp. cuspidata) collected from trees between 2009 and 2012 in the Western Cape, South Africa. No weevil larvae were found in cultivated olives collected during the same period. Only two adult weevils emerged from olives collected on the tree and on the ground. Over the sampling period 20 adults were collected directly on wild olive trees at different sites in the Western Cape and one in the Eastern Cape. All adults were shown to be conspecific with the …