Population Ecology (2013) 55, 433-440

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Anaïs Bompard, Coline C. Jaworski, Philippe Bearez and Nicolas Desneux (2013)
Sharing a predator: can an invasive alien pest affect the predation on a local pest?
Population Ecology 55 (3), 433-440
Abstract: Invasive species can strongly affect biotic interactions in ecosystems, interacting both directly and indirectly with local species. In European tomato greenhouses, the invasive alien pest Tuta absoluta may impact the population dynamics of other pests like whiteflies. Besides inducing damages to the host plant and competing for resources with local pests, this alien species may exert a predator-mediated interaction on local pests sharing common natural enemies. Biocontrol agents usually used against whiteflies may also prey upon T. absoluta and this could alter the dynamics of local pest populations. We evaluated possible resource competition and predator-mediated interactions in a system involving one mirid predator Macrolophus pygmaeus and two pests, T. absoluta and a local whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, on greenhouse tomatoes. Results showed that both resource competition and predator-mediated interactions occurred simultaneously. In the presence of the shared predator, there was a short-term positive effect of T. absoluta on B. tabaci [up to 5.9-fold increase of B. tabaci juveniles (egg + larvae) after four weeks]. However, in the long-term there was a negative predator-mediated interaction of T. absoluta on B. tabaci, i.e., after ten weeks the density of B. tabaci was 7.3-fold lower in the presence of the invasive pest. We emphasize the critical role of generalist predators in managing both local and invasive alien pest populations and that the strength and direction of predator-mediated indirect interactions can depend on the time scale considered.
(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): Nicolas Desneux

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Bemisia tabaci	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
	Phthorimaea absoluta	Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
Macrolophus pygmaeus (predator)