Search results for "PTE"
showing 10 items of 2238 documents
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…
Volatile and contact chemicals released by Nezara viridula (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) have a kairomonal effect on the egg parasitoid Trissolcus basa…
1999
The responses of females of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) to volatile and contact chemicals from its host Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) were investigated in a Y-tube olfactometer and under open arena conditions. In the Y-tube tests, volatiles from virgin males and from females in a preovipositional state attracted T. basalis females, while volatiles from host virgin females did not. In an open arena, traces left by N. viridula adults in different physiological conditions function as contact cues inducing the wasps to remain longer in the arena and to change the pattern of their walking behavior. However, only contact kairomon…
New records of Cynipidae (Hymenoptera) from Italy
2015
New records of Cynipid gall wasps and inquilines for the Italian peninsula and Sicily and their new host plants for the Palaearctic Region are listed and commented on. Among them we find: Cerroneuroterus cerrifloralis (Mullner 1901) as new for Italy and new for the Palaearctic region as host on Quercus suber; Andricus multiplicatus Giraud 1859 on Q. suber, as new host for the Palaearctic region; Aylax papaveris (Perris 1839), reported in Italy over a century ago, but later overlooked; Cerroneuroterus minutulus (Giraud 1859), also reported more than a century ago from Sicily, but later overlooked. Among the inquilines are here listed: Synergus variabilis Mayr 1872, emerged from Janetia cerri…
Parental investment asymmetries of a globally endangered scavenger: unravelling the role of gender, weather conditions and stage of the nesting cycle
2019
Capsule: In Egyptian Vultures Neophron percnopterus, both sexes invested similar parental effort throughout the breeding period. However, there was variation in the degree of intensity of parental ...
Introduction into Italy of Gryon pennsylvanicum (Ashmead), an egg parasitoid of the alien invasive bug Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann
2011
Leptoglossus occidentalis (Heteroptera, Coreidae), a Nearctic species, was accidentally introduced into Northern Italy in the late 1990s, from where it has spread throughout Europe. The bug causes abortion of immature cones of Pinus pinea L., with economic impact on the pine-nut industry. As part of a pest control research program, the egg parasitoid Gryon pennsylvanicum Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Platygastridae) was collected from British Columbia, Canada, and legally introduced to a quarantine climatic chamber in Florence, Italy. The egg parasitoid will be tested against native nontarget heteropterans, an environmental impact assessment will be conducted, and a mass rearing method will be deve…
Insecticidal activity of Vip3Aa, Vip3Ad, Vip3Ae, and Vip3Af from Bacillus thuringiensis against lepidopteran corn pests.
2012
Vip3Aa, Vip3Ad, Vip3Ae, and Vip3Af proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis were tested for their toxicity against Spodoptera frugiperda and Agrotis ipsilon. Vip3Ad was non-toxic to the two species. Vip3Ae and Vip3Af were significantly more toxic than Vip3Aa against S. frugiperda, both as protoxins and as toxins. Against A. ipsilon, Vip3Ae protoxin was more toxic than Vip3Aa and Vip3Af protoxins. Purification by metal-chelate affinity chromatography significantly affected Vip3Ae toxicity against the two insect species.
Effect of eye fluke infection on the growth of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) —An experimental approach
2008
Abstract Effect of the eye fluke Diplostomum spathaceum on fish growth has remained somewhat unclear because 1) the question has not been subjected to experimental examination with treatment-control setup and 2) growth has not been related to the coverage of parasite-induced cataracts in a quantitative manner. We examined effects of the parasite on growth and competitive ability of whitefish ( Coregonus lavaretus ) in experimental conditions resembling those at fish farms by maintaining groups of exposed and control fish, as well as mixed groups from both treatments, under optimal conditions for 8 weeks. Contrary to our expectations, we did not observe differences in fish growth between the…
A screening of five Bacillus thuringiensis Vip3A proteins for their activity against lepidopteran pests
2014
Five Bacillus thuringiensis Vip3A proteins (Vip3Aa, Vip3Ab, Vip3Ad, Vip3Ae and Vip3Af) and their corresponding trypsin-activated toxins were tested for their toxicity against eight lepidopteran pests: Agrotis ipsilon, Helicoverpa armigera, Mamestra brassicae, Spodoptera exigua, Spodoptera frugiperda, Spodoptera littoralis, Ostrinia nubilalis and Lobesia botrana. Toxicity was first tested at a high dose at 7 and 10. days. No major differences were found when comparing protoxins vs. trypsin-activated toxins. The proteins that were active against most of the insect species were Vip3Aa, Vip3Ae and Vip3Af, followed by Vip3Ab. Vip3Ad was non-toxic to any of the species tested. Considering the res…
Relation of fruit color, elongation, hardness, and volume to the infestation of olive cultivars by the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae
2012
The susceptibility of olive cultivars to the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae), has seldom been studied. This article examines factors associated with olive fruit fly infestation of 16 commonly planted Sicilian olive cultivars. Total infestation data were simultaneously correlated with categorical and quantitative factors using ordinal logistic regression. When all factors were included in the analysis, year, sampling date, cultivar, and fruit color were highly significant, but the quantitative factors fruit volume, fruit elongation, and fruit hardness were not. When the analysis was repeated excluding cultivar, all quantitative factors were significant, and e…
The predatory mirid Dicyphus maroccanus as a new potential biological control agent in tomato crops
2014
The first record of the omnivorous predator Dicyphus maroccanus Wagner (Hemiptera: Miridae) inhabiting tomato crops in the Valencia region (East Coast of Spain) was in 2009. Since then, D. maroccanus has often been found preying on the eggs of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in this area. To evaluate this predator’s potential as a biological control agent, its life-history traits in the presence and absence of prey [(eggs of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)] on tomato plants were studied under laboratory conditions. Immature stages that preyed on eggs of E. kuehniella developed successfully. However, no nymph completed development on the plant without t…