Forests (2022) 13 (6 - 885)
Lubomír Volter, Eva Prenerová, Frantisek Weyda and Rostislav Zemek (2022)
Changes in the parasitism rate and parasitoid community structure of the horse chestnut leafminer, Cameraria ohridella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), in the Czech Republic
Forests 13 (6 - 885)
Abstract: The horse chestnut leafminer, Cameraria ohridella, Deschka and Dimic, is a moth that has invaded most of Europe since it was first recorded in Macedonia near Lake Ohrid in 1985. It attacks horse chestnut trees and causes aesthetic and vitality problems. The parasitism rate, other mortality rates, and parasitoid structure were studied during a five-year survey at six sites in the Czech Republic. The results showed that the total parasitism rates varied from 1.9% to 20.5%, with an average of 7.2%, similar to other those published studies. The parasitism rate was significantly related to year, the developmental stage of C. ohridella, latitude, and greenery maintenance but not to C. ohridella population density, altitude, or area size. In contrast, the total other mortality rates varied from 13.7% to 59.5%, with an average of 31%, but overall temporal changes in the values indicated a declining trend. The parasitoid complex was predominantly polyphagous parasitoids of the family Eulophidae, similar to that found previously in south-eastern Europe. The results further revealed that the most abundant parasitoid species, Minotetrastichus frontalis (Nees), was gradually replaced by Pediobius saulius (Walker). The increasing abundance of P. saulius is thus an interesting adaptation of an autochthonous parasitoid to a new host.
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Database assignments for author(s): Lubomir Volter, Rostislav Zemek
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
surveys/distribution/isolation
