Journal of Pest Science (2017) 90, 1087-1095

Gabriele Rondoni, Valeria Bertoldi, Robert Malek, Maria Cristina Foti, Ezio Peri, Lara Maistrello, Tim Haye and Eric Conti (2017)
Native egg parasitoids recorded from the invasive Halyomorpha halys successfully exploit volatiles emitted by the plant–herbivore complex
Journal of Pest Science 90 (4), 1087-1095
Abstract: When an accidentally introduced pest establishes in the invaded area, native natural enemies may adapt to the new host. A decade after the accidental introduction of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, in Europe, two generalist native egg parasitoids, the eupelmid Anastatus bifasciatus and the encyrtid Ooencyrtus telenomicida, have been recorded from this invasive agricultural pest in the field. Both species are able to complete development to the adult stage within the new host. Trissolcus basalis (Platygastridae = Scelionidae), which is not associated with H. halys in the field, was reared from freeze-killed sentinel eggs placed on soybean plants in central Italy. We tested in a Y-tube olfactometer the behavioural responses of these egg parasitoids to volatiles from H. halys adults and from Vicia faba plants attacked by H. halys. Both A. bifasciatus and O. telenomicida positively responded to adult H. halys male volatiles and to H. halys-induced plant volatiles, indicating ability to exploit cues associated with the new host for egg location, whereas T. basalis only reacted to female volatiles. A. bifasciatus and O. telenomicida are generalist egg parasitoids, showing a much wider host range when compared to T. basalis. On the other hand, platygastrid egg parasitoids from the native area of H. halys, considered for classical biological control, may be too risky due to the possibility of attacking non-target species, including predaceous stink bugs. Therefore, indigenous A. bifasciatus and O. telenomicida are presently under evaluation for augmentative biological control of H. halys in Europe.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Eric Conti, Lara Maistrello, Tim Haye, Gabriele Rondoni, Maria Cristina Foti, Robert Malek

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Halyomorpha halys		Italy
Anastatus bifasciatus (parasitoid)	Halyomorpha halys		Italy
Ooencyrtus telenomicida (parasitoid)	Halyomorpha halys		Italy