Environmental Entomology (2016) 45, 719-725

Sheng-Yin Wang, Ning-Ning Liang, Rui Tang, Yanhong Liu and Tong-Xian Liu (2016)
Brief heat stress negatively affects the population fitness and host feeding of Aphelinus asychis (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) parasitizing Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Environmental Entomology 45 (3), 719-725
Abstract: Aphelinus asychis Walker (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), a polyphagous parasitoid, has been widely used as a biological control agent against Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and other aphid species. In order to ensure the successful biological control of M. persicae, we evaluated the influence of brief heat stresses (32.5, 35.0, 37.5, 40.0, and 41.5°C for 1 h), which occur frequently during the summer or under greenhouse conditions, on survival, longevity, host feeding, and parasitism of A. asychis that were reared on chili pepper at 25°C in the laboratory. Our results showed several major consequences on the parasitoid adults after brief heat stress. First, the survival of briefly heat stress-treated A. asychis female and male adults decreased significantly at >37.5°C and their longevity decreased as well. Second, the number of M. persicae nymphs infesting chili pepper killed through host feeding by the treated A. asychis females decreased significantly. Third, the cumulative number of mummified aphids and female progeny produced by the treated A. asychis also decreased significantly at >37.5°C. Our results indicated that a brief heat stress on A. asychis adults caused severe effects on major life history traits and total numbers of hosts killed by host feeding and parasitism, suggesting that high temperatures should be avoided to ensure the success of biological control of M. persicae and other aphid species using this parasitoid species.
(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): Tong Xian Liu

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Myzus persicae
Aphelinus asychis (parasitoid)	Myzus persicae