Journal of Pest Science (2017) 90, 185-194

Maria Villa, Rosalina Marrão, António Mexia, Albino Bento and José Alberto Pereira (2017)
Are wild flowers and insect honeydews potential food resources for adults of the olive moth, Prays oleae?
Journal of Pest Science 90 (1), 185-194
Abstract: The use of non-crop resources by natural enemies and their potentialities to enhance their effectiveness as pest control agents is increasing as a method for conservation biological control. Nevertheless, the effect of consumption of non-crop resources by pests has been generally overlooked being this knowledge crucial to favor natural enemies but not pests. In the present work, insect honeydews and flowers suitability as food resources for the olive tree key-pest Prays oleae were analyzed under laboratory conditions. The selected honeydews were excreted by Saissetia oleae and Euphyllura olivina, two olive pests, and the selected plants were seven abundant species in the olive grove agroecosystem that bloom simultaneously with the flight period of the anthophagous generation of P. oleae. In this work, some of these resources were identified as potential food sources for P. oleae. Despite the general findings, which indicate that honeydews have less nutritional value for insects than nectar, P. oleae reached the best survival and reproduction performance with the insects' honeydews. Several of the tested flowers were identified as potential food resources for P. oleae, being Malva sylvestris the one that originated the best performance. Moreover, our results suggest that P. oleae females are synovigenic and emerge with nutritional reserves for reproduction. We highly recommend accomplishing further research before establishing these resources in biological control methods in order to confirm their effect on pests in fields.
(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): Maria Villa

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Saissetia oleae	Olive (Olea europaea)	Portugal (continental)
	Euphyllura olivina	Olive (Olea europaea)	Portugal (continental)
	Prays oleae	Olive (Olea europaea)	Portugal (continental)