View source for Population Ecology (2013) 55, 433-440

{{Publication
|Publication authors=Anaïs Bompard, Coline C. Jaworski, Philippe Bearez and [[Nicolas Desneux]]
|Author Page=Nicolas Desneux
|Publication date=2013
|dc:title=Sharing a predator: can an invasive alien pest affect the predation on a local pest?
|Publication journal=Population Ecology
|prism:volume=55 (3)
|prism:startingPage=433
|Last page=440
|DOI=10.1007/s10144-013-0371-8
|Publication abstract=Invasive species can strongly affect biotic interactions in ecosystems, interacting both directly and indirectly with local species. In European tomato greenhouses, the invasive alien pest ''Tuta absoluta'' may impact the population dynamics of other pests like whiteflies. Besides inducing damages to the host plant and competing for resources with local pests, this alien species may exert a predator-mediated interaction on local pests sharing common natural enemies. Biocontrol agents usually used against whiteflies may also prey upon ''T. absoluta'' and this could alter the dynamics of local pest populations. We evaluated possible resource competition and predator-mediated interactions in a system involving one mirid predator ''Macrolophus pygmaeus'' and two pests, ''T. absoluta'' and a local whitefly, ''Bemisia tabaci'', on greenhouse tomatoes. Results showed that both resource competition and predator-mediated interactions occurred simultaneously. In the presence of the shared predator, there was a short-term positive effect of ''T. absoluta'' on ''B. tabaci'' [up to 5.9-fold increase of ''B. tabaci'' juveniles (egg + larvae) after four weeks]. However, in the long-term there was a negative predator-mediated interaction of ''T. absoluta'' on ''B. tabaci'', i.e., after ten weeks the density of ''B. tabaci'' was 7.3-fold lower in the presence of the invasive pest. We emphasize the critical role of generalist predators in managing both local and invasive alien pest populations and that the strength and direction of predator-mediated indirect interactions can depend on the time scale considered.
|AbstractCC=Yes
|Research topic=biocontrol - natural enemies
|Benf research=environment/habitat manipulation
|Is book=No
|SelArticle=3
|Image=Tuta absoluta IPM5431768.jpg
}}
{{Pest record
|Pest=Bemisia tabaci
|Crop=Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
|Quarantined=No
}}
{{Pest record
|Pest=Phthorimaea absoluta
|Crop=Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
|Quarantined=No
}}
{{Beneficial record
|Beneficial=Macrolophus pygmaeus (predator)
}}