Search results for " Entomologia"

Introduzione di Thripobius semiluteus Boucek( Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) per il controllo biologico del tripide delle serre (Heliothrips haemorroidalis…

1999

Chemical Ecology of Insect Parasitoids: Essential Elements for Developing Effective Biological Control Programmes

2013

Insect parasitoids can find their hosts in complex environments and reproduce through a series of behavioural steps which are regulated mainly by chemical cues, termed semiochemicals. According to functional criteria, stimuli can be classified into four main categories: (A) cues coming from the habitat, the host microhabitat or the food plant, (B) direct host‐related cues, (C) indirect host‐related cues, and (D) cues coming from the parasitoid itself. In recent years, considerable progress has been made in elucidating the semiochemicals used by parasitoids to locate their hosts. Several studies provided interesting prospective for manipulating foraging behaviour of parasitoids in order to i…

First record of Icerya seychellarum and confirmed occurrence of Aulacaspis tubercularis (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) in Italy

2020

The Seychelles scale, Icerya seychellarum (Westwood, 1855) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Monophlebidae), is reported for the first time in Italy. Moreover, the occurrence of the white mango scale, Aulacaspis tubercularis (Newstead, 1906) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae), firstly reported in 1990 on mango trees growing outdoors in a nursery near Milazzo (Messina province, Sicily), and then intercepted in 2013 on mango plants imported from Florida (USA) to the Botanical Garden in Padova (Italy), is confirmed. Both species were found in two Sicilian mango orchards located in the province of Messina. Their introduction is most likely due to the orchards planting using infested mango nursery pla…

Pre-release risk assessment of the egg-parasitoid Gryon pennsylvanicum for classical biological control of Leptoglossus occidentalis.

2013

Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann (Heteroptera: Coreidae) is a North American conifer seed pest that was accidentally introduced to Europe. In the Mediterranean area, it threatens the production of Pinus pinea Linna- eus seeds. The egg-parasitoid Gryon pennsylvanicum (Ashmead) (Hymenop- tera: Platygastridae), the main natural enemy in the native range of L. occidentalis, was imported from British Columbia to Italy. Pre-release risk assessments were made under quarantine conditions by no-choice tests conducted with na€ıve and experienced G. pennsylvanicum offering single eggs of target and non-target species for varying exposure times (1, 4, 48 h). G. pennsylvanicum successfully parasitize…

A female-produced short-range sex pheromone in the egg parasitoid Trissolcus brochymenae

2012

The potential for short-range sex pheromone communication by the egg parasitoid wasp Trissolcus brochymenae (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) was investigated in closed arena bioassays. Males of this parasitoid showed more antennal drumming and more frequent mounting behaviour on 1- to 2-d-old virgin females compared with 8-d-old virgin females. Male copulation attempts were fewer with previously mated females than with virgin females. Males courted and made copulation attempts with 1- to 2-d-old female cadavers, but not with male cadavers or with female cadavers rinsed in organic solvents of different polarities. Male attraction to female cadavers was re-established by treating cadavers with a…

New species, records and synonymies of West Palaearctic Pamphaginae (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Pamphagidae)

2012

The author analyses the species of some West Palaearctic genera of Pamphaginae, namely Euryparyphes, Paraeuryparyphes, Glauia, Pseudoglauia, Glauvarovia, Prionosthenus, Lativertex, Ocnerosthenus, establishing the following synonymies: Euryparyphes olcesei (Bolivar 1907) = Euryparyphes bolivari (Stål 1876); Euryparyphes paraflexuosus La Greca 1993 = Euryparyphes flexuosus Uvarov 1927; Glauia durieui rubripes Morales Agacino & Descamps 1968 = Glauia durieui durieui (Bolivar 1878); Prionosthenus lebanicus Dirsh 1950 = Prionosthenus femoralis Werner 1938; Prionosthenus (Lativertex) Koçak & Kemal 2011 = Paranothrotes Mishchenko 1951. Further, the author confirms the synonymies: Euryparyphes vauc…

Interspecific extrinsic and intrinsic competitive interactions in egg parasitoids

2012

Interspecific competitive interactions can occur either between adult parasitoids searching/exploiting hosts (extrinsic competition) or between parasitoid larvae developing within the same host (intrinsic competition). Understanding how interspecific competition between parasitoids can affect pest suppression is important for improving biological pest control. The purpose of this work was to review both extrinsic and intrinsic competition between egg parasitoid species. These are organisms that are often candidates for biological control programs due to their ability to kill the pest before the crop feeding stage. We first reviewed the literature about interspecific competitive abilities of…

Responses of Metaphycus sp. nr. flavus to semiochemicals released from a scale host, Coccus hesperidum

2004

Metaphycus sp. nr. flavus (Encyrtidae: Hymenoptera) is a parasitoid species collected from the Mediterranean region which lays its eggs in the immature stages of several economically important soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccidae), including brown soft scale, Coccus hesperidum L. (= host insect). Preliminary tests suggested that the parasitoid is most successful in producing offspring when it oviposits in the younger stages of brown soft scale. In Y-olfactometer bioassays measuring wasp choices and residence times, naïve parasitoids were significantly more attracted to yucca leaves infested with 26, 27, or 28 d-old scale than to uninfested leaves, whereas leaves with older (29-30 d-old) …

First report of Melittobia australica Girault in Europe and new record of M. acasta (Walker) for Italy

2012

Melittobia acasta and M. australica are newly recorded from Sicily, Italy, and the second species is reported in Europe for the first time. A short historical background about Melittobia parasitoid wasps, their hosts, and distribution, with emphasis in those two species is presented together with illustrations to facilitate their identification. Brief discussion about the presence and possible distribution of the species in Sicily is also included.

Behavioral response of the egg parasitoid Ooencyrtus telenomicida to host-related chemical cues in a tritrophic perspective

2010

The response of the generalist egg parasitoid Ooencyrtus telenomicida (Vassiliev) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) to host-related chemical cues from tomato plants, Solanum lycopersicum L., and adults of Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) was investigated in laboratory-based no-choice and paired-choice tests. In Y-tube olfactometer experiments, when female wasps were exposed to volatiles from plants in different conditions, they were attracted only to volatiles produced by N. viridula adult-infested tomato plants. When female wasps were exposed to adults of N. viridula, they were attracted to volatiles from virgin males, and, at a lower level, to volatiles from mated females in preov…