Phytoparasitica (2002) 30, 231-242
Nickolas G. Kavallieratos, George J. Stathas, Christos G. Athanassiou and George Th. Papadoulis (2002)
Dittrichia viscosa and Rubus ulmifolius as reservoirs of aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) and the role of certain coccinellid species
Phytoparasitica 30 (3), 231-242
Abstract: The role of the self-sown shrubs Dittrichia viscosa (L.) W. Greuter and Rubus ulmifolius Schott as reservoirs of aphid parasitoids was investigated. In the field studies conducted, D. viscosa grew adjacent to crops of durum wheat and barley and R. ulmifolius grew adjacent to cotton. The relative abundance of the parasitoids of (a) Capitophorus inulae (Passerini) on D. viscosa, (b) Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus) on durum wheat and barley, (c) Aphis ruborum (B¨ orner) on R. ulmifolius, and (d) Aphis gossypii Glover on cotton in various parts of Greece, was assessed during the years 1996–2000. In 2000, the fluctuation of parasitization of the above four aphid species was recorded and the action of the aphidophagous predators of the family Coccinellidae was studied. It was observed that Aphidius matricariae Haliday predominated on C. inulae and R. padi in all sampling cases. In contrast, Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall) was the dominant species parasitizing A. ruborum on R. ulmifolius and A. gossypii on cotton in Thessaly (central Greece) and Macedonia (northern Greece), whereas Lysiphlebus confusus Tremblay et Eady and Binodoxys acalephae (Marshall) were the dominant parasitoid species in Thrace (northern Greece). Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus was the most abundant coccinellid species on durum wheat, whereas Adonia variegata (Goeze) predominated on cotton. However, coccinellid individuals were scarce on both D. viscosa and R. ulmifolius. The present study indicated that these two shrubs can be regarded as useful reservoirs of aphid parasitoids.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Nickolas G. Kavallieratos
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation
population dynamics/epizootiology
