Search results for "Trissolcus basalis"

The Egg Parasitoid Trissolcus basalis uses n-nonadecane, a Cuticular Hydrocarbon from its Stink Bug Host Nezara viridula, to Discriminate Between Fem…

2007

Contact kairomones from adult southern green stink bugs, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) that elicit foraging behavior of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) were investigated in laboratory experiments. Chemical residues from tarsi and scutella of N. viridula induced foraging by gravid female T. basalis. Residues from body parts of female N. viridula elicited stronger responses than those from the corresponding body parts of males. Deproteinized tarsi still elicited searching responses from wasps, indicating that the kairomone was not proteinaceous. Hexane extracts of host cuticular lipids induced searching responses from T. basalis, with a strong preference f…

Intraguild interaction between egg parasitoids: the role of the host egg mass size and parasitoids’ reproductive capacities

2013

In Sicily, field collections of egg masses of the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera:Pentatomidae), revealed that two solitary parasitoids, Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) and Ooencyrtus telenomicida (Vassiliev) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), can exploit the same egg mass. Previous finding showed that parasitoid species differ in host location and larval competitive abilities and a host finding-larval competition trade-off may be important for coexistence. The aim of this work was to evaluate the role played by the host egg mass size and the importance of species reproductive capacities in the outcome of interspecific competition. Under labo…

Nectar-Inhabiting Bacteria Affect Olfactory Responses of an Insect Parasitoid by Altering Nectar Odors

2022

AbstractFloral nectar is ubiquitously colonized by a variety of microorganisms among which yeasts and bacteria are the most common. Microorganisms inhabiting floral nectar can alter several nectar traits, including nectar odor by producing microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs). Evidence showing that mVOCs can affect the foraging behavior of insect pollinators is increasing in the literature, whereas the role of mVOCs in altering the foraging behavior of third-trophic level organisms such as insect parasitoids is largely overlooked. Parasitoids are frequent visitors of flowers and are well known to feed on nectar. In this study, we isolated bacteria inhabiting floral nectar of buckwhe…

The role of chemical cues in the host finding behaviour of Trissolcus basalis from a Conservation Biological Control perspective

In assessing successful biological control programs by parasitoids, the knowledge of important traits, such as the host finding capability, i.e. the ability to find host and food resources, play the key role. Moreover, parasitoids in their natural environment parasitoids deal with a variable mixtures of natural cues. Some chemical cues are used by the wasps to locate their hosts, some ones drive wasps to feeding resources. The parasitoid response to these cues can fluctuate according to biotic factors and abiotic condition. This dissertation focus in details on the role of two important tools, such as selective flowering plants as food resources to add within a crop area and the traces left…

Effetto della localizzazione dello stress biotico sulle difese indotte in Vicia faba

2016

Le diverse fasi che caratterizzano l’attacco della pianta da parte del fitofago (contatto, alimentazione ed ovideposizione) inducono l’attivazione di meccanismi di difesa nell’ospite. E’ noto che le piante emettono composti volatili indotti in seguito all’attacco del fitofago e che questi volatili sono in grado di richiamare i parassitoidi. Nel caso specifico degli ooparassitoidi, tali difese indirette si esplicitano mediante rilascio di HIPV (herbivore-induced plant volatiles) ed in particolare di OIPV (oviposition-induced plant volatiles). Ad oggi non ci sono studi inerenti il ruolo giocato dalle tracce rilasciate dal fitofago sulla superficie vegetale nell’induzione di volatili utilizzat…

Foraging behaviour of a scelionid egg parasitoid exploiting chemical footprints from associated and non-associated host

2017

Chemical footprints deposited by herbivorous pentatomid host bugs hosts when walking on the plant are adsorbed by leaf surfaces and perceived as substrate borne semiochemicals by scelionid egg parasitoids during host selection process. They act as indirect host-related cues, as they are not able to “promise” to parasitoid females the presence of the suitable host stage, but they drive them in the areas where their hosts are potentially present. Once in contact with host chemical footprints, scelionid wasps evidence an innate arrestment response characterized by an intense searching behaviour on host-contaminated areas. Exploiting of these cues allows the parasitoids to optimize their search…

How can two competing egg parasitoid species coexist in a host patch?

2013

Interspecific competitions among parasitoids can affect community structures, and, as a consequence at applicative level, biological control programs. For example, competitions can cause local displacement of inferior species or niche separation. However, the coexistence of species attacking the same host is possible when they adopt different strategies to exploit the resource. In this work we evaluated in field and semi-field conditions intraguild interactions between two egg parasitoids, Trissolcus basalis and Ooencyrtus telenomicida exploring egg masses of Nezara viridula. In semi-field trials, pepper plants were covered with mesh net creating small cages with five plants inside. In each…

Leaf epicuticular waxes effects egg parasitoid’s response to host adult footprint contact kairomone

2009

Chemical footprints left behind by true bugs are perceived as a contact kairomones by scelionid egg parasitoids. In the system Nezara viridula and its egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis, previous studies have shown that the kairomone mediating such behavior is part of N. viridula’s cuticular hydrocarbons. In this study, the effect of epicuticular waxes of leaves of broad bean, Vicia faba, on wasp response to footprints of N. viridula females are investigated. Plants with intact waxes layer were used (1) without host chemical contamination, or (2) contaminated by host female footprints. Mechanically de-waxed plants were tested (3) without host chemical contamination, or (4) de-waxed a few min…

Plant surface mediates interaction between true bug chemical footprints and scelionid egg parasitoids

2009

Chemical footprints left behind by true bugs act as contact kairomones inducing an arrestment response in scelionid egg parasitoids. Once in contact with contaminated substrates, female wasps display a characteristic arrestment posture followed by an increase of the host searching time. Previous studies were conducted on artificial substrates as filter papers, so that little is known about the effects of natural substrates on behavioural response by wasps. In field, the substrate where these interactions occur, i.e. the surface of plants, is covered by wax layers that can have a role in trophic interactions between insects. In this study, we investigated the influence of plant surfaces on a…

I semiochimici utilizzati nella localizzazione dell’ospite da parte del parassitoide oofago Ooencyrtus telenomicida

2009

Ooencyrtus telenomicida (Vassiliev) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) è un parassitoide oofago di Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) di origine paleartica frequentemente diffuso in Sicilia. Scopo del presente lavoro è stato quello di investigare il processo di localizzazione dell’ospite nel sistema tritrofico Solanum lycopersicum L. – N. viridula – O. telenomicida. In particolare sono stati condotti esperimenti in olfattometro a Y, per valutare il ruolo attrattivo dei composti volatili emessi sia dalle piante, sia dagli adulti della cimice verde, e in arena aperta, per biosaggiare. la risposta delle femmine del parassitoide alle tracce lasciate sul substrato dagli adulti di N. viridul…