Journal of Chemical Ecology (2004) 30, 1781-1795
J.D. Blande, J.A. Pickett and G.M. Poppy (2004)
Attack rate and success of the parasitoid Diaeretiella rapae on specialist and generalist feeding aphids
Journal of Chemical Ecology 30 (9), 1781-1795
Abstract: Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach) is a specialist crucifer feeding aphid and Myzus persicae (Sulzer) is a generalist feeding aphid. The foraging behavior of Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh), a parasitoid with the ability to parasitize both of these species, was assessed using a series of attack rate and success bioassays, with turnip, Brassica rapa var rapifera, as the host plant. The attack rate of D. rapae was significantly greater on L. erysimi than on M. persicae when aphids were feeding on turnip leaf discs in Petri dishes, irrespective of the aphid species upon which the parasitoids were originally reared. Attack rate bioassays with leaf discs absent, using both satiated and starved aphids, revealed that background chemistry and internal aphid chemistry may have small effects on attack rate. Excision of D. rapae pupae from mummy cases and subsequent use of the fully developed adults in attack rate bioassays showed that cues received by D. rapae at the time of adult emergence provide cues that prime D. rapae to attack L. erysimi at a greater rate than M. persicae. However, the relative success of D. rapae on these two aphid species, in terms of the percentage of attacks resulting in a successful adult parasitoid, was not significantly different.
(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): Guy M. Poppy, John A. Pickett
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
environment/habitat manipulation
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Myzus persicae | Brassica - other species | |||
| Lipaphis erysimi | Brassica - other species | |||
| Diaeretiella rapae (parasitoid) | Myzus persicae | Brassica - other species | ||
| Diaeretiella rapae (parasitoid) | Lipaphis erysimi | Brassica - other species |
