Search results for "ENTO"
showing 10 items of 11102 documents
Developing green insecticides to manage olive fruit flies? Ingestion toxicity of four essential oils in protein baits on Bactrocera oleae
2020
Abstract Effective and eco-friendly plant-borne insecticides for developing lure and kill control tools against tephritid flies are scarce. Herein, the activity of four essential oils (EOs) obtained from two Apiaceae, Pimpinella anisum L. and Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague, and two Lamiaceae, Thymbra spicata L. and Ocimum gratissimum L., was evaluated against the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi), a key pest of olive groves. The EO chemical composition was determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses. The four EOs incorporated in protein baits were tested for ingestion toxicity on B. oleae adults, mimicking lure and kill assays. Results showed con…
Lures for red palm weevil trapping systems: aggregation pheromone and synthetic kairomone
2016
Background The optimisation of the lure is essential for the implementation of trapping systems to control insect pests. In this work, the response of the red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier, to increasing emission rates of its aggregation pheromone (ferrugineol) and the efficacy of a convenient synthetic kairomone based on fermentation odours (ethyl acetate and ethanol) have been evaluated in different years and locations along the Mediterranean basin. Results In general, although capture data and emission had noticeable variability among locations, significantly fewer RPW were captured in pyramidal Picusan® traps with the lowest ferrugineol emission rates tested (0.6-…
Identification of multi-component trail pheromones in the most evolutionarily derived termites, the Nasutitermitinae (Termitidae)
2009
In the present study, trail pheromone blends are identified for the first time in termites. In the phylogenetically complex Nasutitermitinae, trail-following pheromones are composed of dodecatrienol and neocembrene, the proportions of which vary according to species, although neocembrene is always more abundant than dodecatrienol (by 25–250-fold). Depending on species, termites were more sensitive to dodecatrienol or to neocembrene but the association of both components always elicited significantly higher trail following, with a clear synergistic effect in most of the studied species. A third component, trinervitatriene, was identified in the sternal gland secretion of several species, but…
Chemical ecology meets conservation biological control: identifying plant volatiles as predictors of floral resource suitability for an egg parasitoi…
2016
Conservation biological control aims to enhance natural enemy populations in crop habitats, e.g. by providing flowering plants as food resources. Suitable flower species must enhance the survival and fecundity of natural enemies but in addition they also need to be highly attractive and thus frequently visited. To date, few examples exist that have considered both criteria. In this study, we tested the effects of the flowering plants alyssum (Lobularia maritima), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), French marigold (Tagetes patula) and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) on the fecundity and olfactory attractiveness of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis, an important biological control agent of …
A comparative analysis of patch-leaving decision rules in a parasitoid family
2003
The proximate behavioural rules adopted by parasitoid females to manage their foraging time on patches of hosts were studied, under standardized laboratory conditions, in different species (and populations) of the Trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera) family. Seventeen species/populations were compared and the behavioural mechanisms adopted by the females were identified by means of a Cox's proportional hazards model. On average, females increased their patch-leaving tendency each time a healthy host was attacked and each time a parasitized host was rejected. Strong variation was observed in these patch-leaving mechanisms among the different species. Moreover, the interspecific variation in these…
<p><strong>In BOLD we trust? A commentary on the reliability of specimen identification for DNA barcoding: a case study on burrower bugs …
2016
An assessment was performed regarding the accuracy of various types of data deposited in the Barcode of Life Data system (BOLD) related to the true bug family Cydnidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera). Taxonomic nomenclature and classification, identification reliability, and the correctness of the data provided in the "Taxon description" were analyzed and commented on with respect to both available versions of the BOLD system, i.e. version 3 and beta version 4. Numerous mistakes in taxonomy, the relevance of the taxa names, and species misidentifications in BOLD version 3 were found and, more importantly, similar errors were detected in BOLD version 4 as well. We suggest that if the BOLD system is…
The invasive stink bug Halyomorpha halys affects the reproductive success and the experience-mediated behavioural responses of the egg parasitoid Tri…
2021
Invasive species, because of their lack of co-evolutionary history with recipient communities, can act as “evolutionary traps” causing disconnects between natural enemy behavioural responses and the suitability of the invasive species as a prey/host resource. Invasion of exotic species in non-native environments may have several ecological effects, including consequences for the experience-mediated behavioural responses of indigenous foragers. Experience is usually thought to help resident species to buffer against negative impacts of new invasive species, including escaping from evolutionary traps. Here we hypothesized that the impact of foraging experience depends on whether an indigenous…
Behavior-modifying and insecticidal effects of plant extracts on adults of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera Tephritidae)
2018
The Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata is a major pest of fruit orchards worldwide. In order to develop control methods based on natural products, particularly required in organic farming, a laboratory study was carried out to evaluate the response of adults to leaf extracts from four plant species: Ruta graveolens, Eriobotrya japonica, Rubus ulmifolius, and Ficus carica. Air-dried leaf powders were subjected to an ethanolic cold extraction. Chemical composition was assessed by GC/MS analysis. Extracts were tested in laboratory bioassays to assess the electroantennographic (EAG) response, attraction/repellence toward ovipositing females, and induced mortality toward adults. Among th…
Influence of Distance from the Host on Parasitisation by Psyttalia concolor (Szépligeti) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)
2019
The olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae, is considered the main olive pest worldwide, and has been the target of biological control programmes through the release of the braconid parasitoid Psyttalia concolor. Laboratory tests were performed to evaluate the influence of distance from the host on parasitisation, placing larvae of the substitute host Ceratitis capitata at seven distances (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 mm) and four different time periods (7, 15, 30, 60 min). Moreover, field collected olives of Ogliarola Barese cultivar infested by B. oleae were exposed to P. concolor females to confirm its ability to parasitise B. oleae in small olives. Psyttalia concolor oviposition was inhibited a…
Infection by Endosymbiotic “Male-Killing” Bacteria in Coleoptera
2018
Wolbachia, Rickettsia, Spiroplasma and Cardinium are endosymbiotic and intracellular bacteria known to cause numerous disorders in host reproduction, reflected in their common name “male-killers”. In this study, 297 beetle species from various taxonomic groups were screened with the use of molecular markers for the presence of infection by any of these endosymbionts. Wolbachia was found to be the most common “male-killer” among beetle hosts as it infected approx. 27% of species. Rickettsia, Spiroplasma and Cardinium were much less prevalent as they infected: 8%, 3% and 2%, respectively, of the studied beetle species. This is the first report of Cardinium presence in beetle hosts. Incidences…