Insect Science (2015) 22, 813-820
Muhammad A. Aqueel, Abu-Bakar M. Raza, Rashad M. Balal, Muhammad A. Shahid, Irfan Mustafa, Muhammad M. Javaid and Simon R. Leather (2015)
Tritrophic interactions between parasitoids and cereal aphids are mediated by nitrogen fertilizer
Insect Science 22 (6), 813-820
Abstract: Host plant nutritional quality can directly and indirectly affect the third trophic levels. The aphid–parasitoid relationship provides an ideal system to investigate tritrophic interactions (as the parasitoids are completely dependent for their development upon their hosts) and assess the bottom up forces operating at different concentrations of nitrogen applications. The effects of varying nitrogen fertilizer on the performance of Aphidius colemani (V.) reared on Sitobion avenae (F.) and Aphidius rhopalosiphi (D.) reared on Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) were measured. Parasitism and percent emergence of parasitoids were positively affected by nitrogen fertilizer treatments while developmental duration (egg, larval, and pupal stages) was not affected by increasing nitrogen inputs. In males and females of both parasitoid species, adult longevity increased with the increasing nitrogen fertilizer. Hind tibia length and mummy weight of both parasitoid species increased with nitrogen fertilizer concentrations, as a result of larger aphids. This study showed that nitrogen application to the soil can have important consequences for aboveground multitrophic interactions.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Simon R. Leather
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sitobion avenae | ||||
| Rhopalosiphum padi | ||||
| Aphidius rhopalosiphi (parasitoid) | Rhopalosiphum padi | |||
| Aphidius colemani (parasitoid) | Sitobion avenae |
