Bulletin of Insectology (2006) 59, 147-151

Marcus Vinicius Sampaio, Vanda Helena Paes Bueno, Maria Da Conceição De Menezes Soglia, Bruno Freitas De Conti and Sandra Maria Morais Rodrigues (2006)
Larval competition between Aphidius colemani and Lysiphlebus testaceipes after multiparasitism of the host Aphis gossypii
Bulletin of Insectology 59 (2), 147-151
Abstract: The parasitoids Aphidius colemani Viereck and Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera Braconidae and Aphidiinae) play an important role in both natural and applied biological control of Aphis gossypii Glover (Rhynchota Aphididae). The use of both parasitoid species in biological control of A. gossypii may expose them to interspecific competition. Larval competition was evaluated to determine the existence of intrinsic superiority of either A. colemani or L. testaceipes after multiparasitism of A. gossypii. Nymphs of the 2nd instar of A. gossypii parasitized by both parasitoid species were used to test the outcome of interspecific larval competition. Thirty nine adults of A. colemani and 72 adults of L. testaceipes emerged from multiparasitized aphids. It appears that the parasitoid L. testaceipes was superior in larval competition (Chi² IGL = 15.46, P < 0.01) to A. colemani in A. gossypii. The intrinsic superiority of L. testaceipes may cause the displacement of A. colemani and, therefore, the simultaneous use of both parasitoids in biological control of A. gossypii should be carefully analyzed.
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Database assignments for author(s): Marcus Vinicius Sampaio, Vanda Helena Paes Bueno, Bruno Freitas De Conti

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.
	Aphis gossypii
Lysiphlebus testaceipes (parasitoid)	Aphis gossypii
Aphidius colemani (parasitoid)	Aphis gossypii