Pest Management Science (2017) 73, 2294-2301

Abdul Hanan, Xiong Z. He and Qiao Wang (2017)
Insight into the success of whitefly biological control using parasitoids: evidence from the Eretmocerus warrae-Trialeurodes vaporariorum system
Pest Management Science 73 (11), 2294-2301
Abstract:
BACKGROUND
Mechanisms behind the success and failure of whitefly biological control using parasitoids are largely unknown. Here we use the Eretmocerus warrae-greenhouse whitefly system to investigate how the fluctuating density of the parasitoid and its host affects three key parasitoid fitness parameters, host searching, host feeding and parasitization, providing critical knowledge for evaluation and development of whitefly biological control programmes. This is the first such study in a parasitoid-whitefly system.
RESULTS
Models used and developed here show that (1) both host feeding and parasitism fit a type II functional response; (2) overall parasitoid-caused whitefly mortality significantly increases with growing density of both organisms and the parasitoid density has a significantly more positive effect; (3) with a pro-synovigenic nature, E. warrae allocate significantly more resources to parasitization than to host feeding activity in low whitefly density and high parasitoid density; and (4) low mutual interference among searching parasitoids encourages parasitoid aggregation on host patches of high density.
CONCLUSION
Regardless of greenhouse whitefly density, the pest can be effectively controlled by release of E. warrae. Our study provides insight into the success of whitefly biological control programmes using the parasitoid augmentation approach. Models used and developed here can also be employed to evaluate biological control programmes for other parasitoid-whitefly systems.
(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): Qiao Wang

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

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Trialeurodes vaporariorum
Eretmocerus warrae (parasitoid)	Trialeurodes vaporariorum