Pest Management Science (2017) 73, 1352-1357
Mario Naselli, Antonio Biondi, Giovanna Tropea Garzia, Nicolas Desneux, Agatino Russo, Gaetano Siscaro and Lucia Zappalà (2017)
Insights into food webs associated with the South American tomato pinworm
Pest Management Science 73 (7), 1352-1357
Abstract:
BACKGROUND
The complexity of both natural and managed ecosystems involves various forms of interaction among organisms. Two or more species that exploit the same resource can engage in competitive behaviours, usually referred to as intraguild interactions. These can be direct, i.e. one species feeds directly upon the competitor (intraguild predation) or indirect, e.g. when the dominant organism competes for a food source that another organism is feeding upon (kleptoparasitism). We investigated the potential for such interactions in a biological model composed by the South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta, and three of its newly associated natural enemies: the zoophytophagous predator Nesidiocoris tenuis and the two idiobiont ectoparasitoids Bracon nigricans and Necremnus tutae.
RESULTS
N. tenuis was shown (i) to scavenge on parasitised T. absoluta larvae and (ii) directly to attack and feed upon larvae of both parasitoid species, although at a higher percentage in the case of N. tutae. In the presence of the host plant, the predator reduced the emergence of both B. nigricans and N. tutae adults significantly.
CONCLUSION
This study stresses the ecological success of a generalist predator over indigenous parasitoids attacking an invasive pest. Moreover, these findings provide potential elements for better design of biological control programmes against T. absoluta.
(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): Lucia Zappala, Agatino Russo, Antonio Biondi, Nicolas Desneux
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.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phthorimaea absoluta | ||||
| Necremnus tutae (parasitoid) | Phthorimaea absoluta | |||
| Nesidiocoris tenuis (predator) | Phthorimaea absoluta | |||
| Bracon nigricans (parasitoid) | Phthorimaea absoluta |
