Entomological Science (2004) 7, 201-206

Keiji Takasu, Shun-Ichiro Takano, Nobuo Mizutani and Takashi Wada (2004)
Flight orientation behavior of Ooencyrtus nezarae (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), an egg parasitoid of phytophagous bugs in soybean
Entomological Science 7 (3), 201-206
Abstract: We conducted field experiments to examine flight orientation behavior of Ooencyrtus nezarae Ishii, an egg parasitoid of soybean feeding bugs, using sticky traps with synthetic aggregation pheromones of the host, Riptortus clavatus (Thunberg). Experiments were conducted in plots either containing a soybean field or not containing one. When the traps were suspended at heights of 0.5, 1.5 and 3.0 m above a soybean field in Kobe, O. nezarae females were most frequently caught in the 0.5 m traps. In an open field on the same campus where the vegetation was predominantly tall goldenrod, females were more frequently trapped at 1.5 or 3.0 m. In a soybean field in Kumamoto, females were most frequently trapped in the 0.8 m traps, compared to traps placed at 2.0, 4.0 and 6.0 m. In an oat field in the same area, females were trapped most frequently at heights of 0.8 and 2.0 m. Unlike females, only a small number of males were trapped in the fields in both areas. The result that O. nezarae females were caught in traps at higher positions in non-host habitats than in soybean fields probably reflects differences in host searching behavior in or movement between the habitats. In host habitats, females mainly walk on the plants or fly within the plant canopy to search for hosts. In non-host habitats, females may not intensively search for hosts within the plants, and directly respond to host pheromones in the traps at heights equal to or a little higher than the plant canopy.
(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): Keiji Takasu, Takashi Wada

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Riptortus pedestris	Soybean (Glycine max)	Japan
Ooencyrtus nezarae (parasitoid)	Riptortus pedestris	Soybean (Glycine max)	Japan