Classical biological control of ash whitefly: factors contributing to its success in California

The ash whitefly, Siphoninus phillyreae, invaded California in 1988 rapidly spreading throughout the state and infesting several species of ornamental trees and shrubs. Released Encarsia inaron rapidly established populations and spread throughout areas occupied by ash whitefly. We examined whether dispersal and overwintering ability could play a role in the extraordinary success of this parasitoid and we measured the impact of released parasitoids using a new method at a single location in northern California. The dispersal ability of E. inaron was examined by releasing two hundred and fifty adults 25 July 1991 into a single tree in a 1 ha pomegranate orchard near Brentwood, California. Based on yellow sticky card traps, the adult population spread at least 45 m from the release tree within 9 weeks of release. Over the same period of time the parasitoid population increased 64 fold. Impact was determined by measuring the number of ash whitefly adults produced in the absence and presence of E. inaron over 12 months. The production of whitefly adults, measured by the number of pupae entering the adult population, was reduced to very low numbers one year following the establishment of the parasitoid. Production of E. inaron adults increased rapidly, then decreased following the drop in production of ash whitefly adults. Duff of flowering pear trees was collected from under sample trees in mid winter to determine whether ash whitefly could survive on fallen leaves. Over fifty percent of adults emerged from whitefly pupae on leaves within 12 days of collection.     

Spatial and temporal variation in the parasitoid assemblage of an exophytic polyphagous caterpillar

Abstract 1. Over 3400 larvae of the polyphagous ground dwelling arctiid Grammia geneura were sampled and reared over seven generations in order to characterise its parasitoid assemblage and examine how and why this assemblage varies over time and space at a variety of scales.
2. The total parasitoid assemblage of 14 species was dominated both in diversity and frequency by relatively polyphagous tachinid flies.
3. Both the composition of the parasitoid assemblage and frequency of parasitism varied strikingly among and within sampling sites, seasons, and years.
4. Overall rates of parasitism increased consistently over the duration of caterpillar development.
5. Within sampling sites, parasitism rates were non-random with respect to habitat structure and caterpillar behaviour for the most abundant parasitoid species.
6. The large variability in parasitoid assemblage structure over space and time in this system may be a function of local host population abundance, habitat-specific parasitism, and indirect interactions between G. geneura and other Macrolepidoptera through shared oligophagous and polyphagous parasitoids.     

Yellow sticky trap catches of parasitoids of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in vegetable crops and their relationship to in-field populations

We examined the relationship of yellow sticky trap captures of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) biotype B parasitoids to the local population of parasitoids as measured by leaf samples of parasitized whiteflies and mass release of parasitoids. Traps were placed in experimental collard and cowpea field plots in Charleston, SC, and in commercial organic fields of spring cantaloupe and watermelon in the Imperial Valley, CA. The exotic parasitoid Eretmocerus emiratus Zolnerowich and Rose was released in Imperial Valley fields to ensure parasitoid populations would be present. Bemisia adults were trapped in the greatest numbers on the upper surface of horizontally oriented sticky traps in melon fields. In contrast, the lower trap surfaces consistently captured more Eretmocerus than upper surfaces. Female parasitoids were trapped in greater numbers than males, especially on the lower trap surfaces. Progeny of released exotic Eretmocerus greatly outnumbered native E. eremicus Rose and Zolnerowich and Encarsia spp. on traps. Throughout the season, the trend of increasing numbers of Eretmocerus on traps parallelled the increase in numbers of whiteflies. Over the season, 23-84% of all B. tabaci fourth instars were visibly parasitized by Eretmocerus. The numbers of Eretmocerus caught by traps in cantaloupe were similar in trend to numbers on leaf samples in melons, but not with those in watermelon, where whitefly populations were lower. Parasitoid numbers were low in collard and cowpea samples, and no trend was observed in numbers of parasitoids captured on traps and numbers on leaves for these two crops. Overall, there were no significant correlations between sticky trap catches of parasitoids and numbers of parasitized whiteflies on leaf samples in any test fields. Nevertheless, sticky traps placed within crops may be useful for observing trends in whitefly parasitoid populations at a particular site and for detecting parasitoids at specific locations.     

Invasion and Displacement of Experimental Populations of a Conventional Parasitoid by a Heteronomous Hyperparasitoid

Aphelinid parasitoids have an outstanding record of success in programmes of classical biocontrol against whiteflies and scale insects. Heteronomous hyperparasitoids are aphelinids in which the sexes develop on or in different hosts. The female always develops as a primary endoparasitoid of Homoptera. The male develops as a secondary parasitoid hyperparasitoid of his own or another species of homopteran endoparasitoid. Caged experiments were performed with the cabbage whitefly, Aleyrodes proletella, to examine the invasion of a population of a conventional parasitoid, Encarsia inaron both sexes primary endoparasitoids by a heteronomous hyperparasitoid, E. tricolor. In all cages the heteronomous hyperparasitoid successfully invaded an established population of the conventional parasitoid and the conventional species population declined to very low levels within 8 weeks of the introduction of the heteronomous hyperparasitoid. The patterns of invasion were different in each cage. In two cages, high levels of male production by E. tricolor were observed, indicating that hyperparasitism of the conventional species was probably an important factor in causing the decline in the E. inaron population. In a reciprocal experiment in which E. inaron was introduced to an established population of E. tricolor the conventional species failed to invade or persist. A survey of published references to complexes of parasitoids containing a heteronomous hyperparasitoid and one or more conventional species indicated that, in the majority of cases, the heteronomous hyperparasitoid was the most important species in the complex. There are clear implications for the use of these parasitoids in programmes of classical biocontrol. This is because high competitive ability against other parasitoids is not necessarily a good indicator of the ability of a species to maintain high levels of pest control, especially when hyperparasitic behaviour is involved.     

Shifting preference between oviposition vs. host-feeding under changing host densities in two aphelinid parasitoids

Destructive host-feeding is common in hymenopteran parasitoids. Such feeding may be restricted to host stages not preferred for oviposition. However, whether this is a fixed strategy or can vary according to resource levels or parasitoid needs is less clear. We tested the trade-off between host feeding and oviposition on two whitefly parasitoids under varying host densities. Females of two aphelinid parasitoids, Eretmocerus hayati and Encarsia sophia were exposed to nine different densities of their whitefly host, Bemisia tabaci, in single-instar tests to identify their functional response. Mixed-instar host choice tests were also conducted by exposing whiteflies at four densities to the parasitoids. We hypothesized that the parasitoid females can detect different host densities, and decide on oviposition vs. host-feeding accordingly. The results showed that both Er. hayati and En. sophia females tended to increase both oviposition and host-feeding with increased host density within a certain range. Oviposition reached a plateau at lower host density than host-feeding in Er. hayati, while En. sophia reached its oviposition plateau at higher densities. At low densities, Er. hayati parasitized most on first and second (the optimal ones), and fed most on third nymphal instars (the suboptimal one) of the whitefly host as theory predicts, while at high densities, both parasitism and host-feeding occurred on first and second instars which are preferred for oviposition. En. sophia parasitized most on third and fourth (the optimal ones), while fed on first instars (the suboptimal one) at low densities, and utilized third and fourth instars for both at high densities. In conclusion, oviposition vs. host-feeding strategy of parasitoid females was found to vary at different host densities. The balance between reserving optimal hosts for oviposition or using them for host-feeding depended on parasitoid life history and the availability of host resources.     

South American Origins of Microctonus hyperodae Loan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Established in New Zealand as Defined by Morphometric Analysis

Eight South American geographic populations of the thelytokous parasitoid Microctonus hyperodae Loan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) were released in New Zealand in 1991 to assist in the suppression of the pasture pest Listronotus bonariensis (Kuschel) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). With one exception, parasitoids from each South American geographic population were released in equal numbers at each New Zealand release site. It was postulated that the South American geographic population(s) best suited to the conditions encountered at each New Zealand release locality would eventually become prevalent there. A morphometric analysis of adult parasitoids of known South American origins, reported previously, allowed M. hyperodae derived from west of the Andes (i.e. two collection sites in Chile) to be distinguished from parasitoids derived from east of the Andes (i.e. three collection sites in Argentina and one each in Brazil and Uruguay). Parasitoids derived from a fourth site in Argentina (S. C. de Bariloche) could not be clearly discriminated from either the 'east of the Andes' or 'west of the Andes' categories. A morphometric analysis of M. hyperodae adults collected from five of the New Zealand release sites from 1992-1994 is presented in this contribution. The analysis indicated that parasitoids derived from east of the Andes were significantly more prevalent than expected. The possible reasons for the initial success in New Zealand of one or more east of the Andes populations include the greater fecundity of M. hyperodae collected in Uruguay and the likelihood that M. hyperodae from east of the Andes co-evolved more recently with the stock from which New Zealand's L. bonariensis was founded.     

Regulation of host diapause by an insect parasitoid

Abstract. 1. The interaction between larval development and parasitism by the braconid wasp Cotesia koebelei (Riley), was investigated in a population of the butterfly Euphydryas editha (Boisduval) (Nymphalidae). In this population, the butterfly host has an obligatory overwintering larval diapause.
2. It was found that E. editha larvae harbouring parasitoids were more likely to pass through an extra feeding instar before entering diapause than were non-parasitized conspecifics.
3. In addition, some individuals that were experimentally exposed to multiple parasitoid attacks bypassed diapause completely; these larvae passed through five or six feeding instars, reaching sizes typical of final instar post-diapause larvae.
4. The observed effect of superparasitism occurred regardless of whether the host larvae subsequently produced mature parasitoids, suggesting that parasitoid attack is sufficient to invoke the response.
5. It is proposed that the parasitoid C.koebelei regulates the number of pre-diapause feeding instars of its insect host E. editha, and that some component of the female venom, injected at oviposition, is responsible for this regulation.     

烟粉虱及海氏桨角蚜小蜂对中国番茄黄化曲叶病毒感染烟草的嗅觉反应

双生病毒可通过调控寄主植物促进媒介昆虫烟粉虱种群增长,然而病毒侵染植物后是否通过调控植物挥发物来影响烟粉虱及其天敌的嗅觉反应还未见报道。【目的】本文旨在研究烟草植株感染中国番茄黄化曲叶病毒(Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus,TYLCCNV)后对烟粉虱Bemisia tabaci(Gennadius)及其重要寄生性天敌海氏桨角蚜小蜂Eretmocerus hayati(Zolnerowich and Rose)嗅觉反应行为的影响。【方法】利用Y形嗅觉仪方法,我们测试了烟粉虱及海氏桨角蚜小蜂对带毒植株、健康植株及烟粉虱危害植株的选择偏好性。【结果】烟粉虱及海氏桨角蚜小蜂选择携带TYLCCNV病毒的烟草显著多于健康烟草植株,但烟草被病毒与烟粉虱共同侵染时,烟粉虱对带毒烟草的选择仍显著多于无毒植株,而寄生蜂虽然仍较多选择带毒植株,但无显著差异。【结论】这些结果表明烟粉虱及海氏桨角蚜小蜂偏好选择携带TYLCCNV病毒的烟草,但这种偏好作用在烟粉虱取食共同危害时有一定程度的减弱。本研究首次报道了双生病毒侵染植物可增加烟粉虱及其天敌对植物的选择作用,并就其功能及机制进行了讨论。     

Compatibility of Insect Growth Regulators with Eretmocerus eremicus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) for Whitefly (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) Control on Poinsettias: I. Laboratory Assays

The compatibility of five insect growth regulators (IGRs), buprofezin, pyriproxyfen, fenoxycarb, pymetrozine, and kinoprene, were tested in the laboratory for compatibility with the whitefly parasitoid Eretmocerus eremicus Rose and Zolnerowich (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). The survivorship of adult parasitoids foraging on poinsettia leaves with residues 6, 24, and 96 h of age was determined. The toxicity of Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) patches treated with IGRs presented to female parasitoids 24 and 96 h posttreatment was quantified. Survivorship of immature E. eremicus developing within B. argentifolii nymphs was determined by treating whitefly nymphs with IGRs 5 and 13 days postoviposition by female parasitoids. Finally, behavioral observations of female parasitoids foraging on IGR-treated and untreated B. argentifolii patches presented simultaneously were quantified to determine whether IGR residues had a repellant effect toward E. eremicus. Averaging ranks for IGRs based on their compatibility with E. eremicus and their ability to kill B. argentifolii nymphs produced the following parasitoid compatibility order: buprofezin > fenoxycarb > pymetrozine = pyriproxyfen > kinoprene. Further work in greenhouses assessing the efficacy of buprofezin with E. eremicus for B. argentifolii control on poinsettias is recommended.     

Species richness and parasitism in an assemblage of parasitoids attacking maize stem borers in coastal Kenya

Abstract. 1. Parasitoids were reared from four species of lepidopteran stem borer collected in maize in southern coastal Kenya from 1992 to 1999. The stem borers included three native species, Sesamia calamistis Hampson, Busseola fusca Fuller, and Chilo orichalcociliellus (Strand), and one exotic borer, Chilo partellus (Swinhoe). A total of 174 663 caterpillars was collected, of which 12 645 were parasitised.
2. Twenty-six primary parasitoid species were reared from the exotic borer, C. partellus , indicating a rapid accumulation of native parasitoids on the alien borer.
3. The three most abundant parasitoids were the larval parasitoids Cotesia sesamiae Cameron, Cotesia flavipes (Cameron), and the pupal parasitoid Pediobius furvus Gahan. The pupal parasitoid Dentichasmias busseolae Heinrich and the larval parasitoid Goniozus indicus Ashmead were also common. All used an ingress-and-sting method of attack.
4. Cotesia flavipes , introduced into Kenya in 1993, was found in all seasons from 1997 onwards, and has become the most abundant stem borer larval parasitoid in the area. A native congener, Cotesia sesamiae , appeared in all seasons from 1992 to 1999. Together, these two parasitoids accounted for 83.3% of the parasitised borers.
5. Thirty parasitoid species were recovered in Kilifi district, 27 in Kwale, and 15 in Taita Taveta. Parasitism was much greater in Taita Taveta district than in Kilifi or Kwale districts.     

Host-parasite interactions between whiteflies and their parasitoids

There is relatively little information available concerning the physiological and biochemical interactions between whiteflies and their parasitoids. In this report, we describe interactions between aphelinid parasitoids and their aleyrodid hosts that we have observed in four host-parasite systems: Bemisia tabaci/Encarsia formosa, Trialeurodes vaporariorum/E. formosa, B. tabaci/Eretmocerus mundus, and T. lauri/Encarsia scapeata. In the absence of reported polydnavirus and teratocytes, these parasitoids probably inject and/or produce compounds that interfere with the host immune response and also manipulate host development to suit their own needs. In addition, parasitoids must coordinate their own development with that of their host. Although eggs are deposited under all four instars of B. tabaci, Eretmocerus larvae only penetrate 4th instar B. tabaci nymphs. A pre-penetrating E. mundus first instar was capable of inducing permanent developmental arrest in its host, and upon penetration stimulated its host to produce a capsule (epidermal in origin) in which the parasitoid larva developed. T. vaporariorum and B. tabaci parasitized by E. formosa initiated adult development, and, on occasion, produced abnormal adult wings and eyes. In these systems, the site of parasitoid oviposition depended on the host species, occurring within or pressing into the ventral ganglion in T. vaporariorum and at various locations in B. tabaci. E. formosa's final larval molt is cued by the initiation of adult development in its host. In the T. lauri-E. scapeata system, both the host whitefly and the female parasitoid diapause during most of the year, i.e., from June until the middle of February (T. lauri) or from May until the end of December (E. scapeata). It appears that the growth and development of the insects are directed by the appearance of new, young foliage on Arbutus andrachne, the host tree. When adult female parasitoids emerged in the spring, they laid unfertilized male-producing eggs in whiteflies containing a female parasitoid [autoparasitism (development of male larvae utilizing female parasitoid immatures for nutrition)]. Upon hatching, these male larvae did not diapause, but initiated development, and the adult males that emerged several weeks later mated with available females to produce the next generation of parasitoid females. Thus, the interactions that exist between whiteflies and their parasitoids are complex and can be quite diverse in the various host-parasitoid systems.     

A simulation study of population interaction between the greenhouse whitefly,Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) and the parasitoidEncarsia formosa Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) II. Simulation analysis of population dynamics and strategy of biological control

Simulation studies were performed to analyze factors affecting the population dynamics of the system with the greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorumWestwood ) and the parasitoid Encarsia formosaGahan and to develop strategies for the introduction of E. formosa. The reduction of parasitization efficiency with an increase in parasitoid density promotes the stability of the system, which coincides with the prediction from current theory. The stability of the system is also shown to be promoted by the effect of host feeding. The population levels of the system are remarkably suppressed with an increase in searching efficiency and a decrease in host oviposition. The control effect of the parasitoids is enhanced when the number of parasitoids is divided among many introductions. An optimal time, an optimal density ratio of parasitoids to hosts and optimal densities of hosts and parasitoids exist in the introduction programme of parasitoids.     

The ectoparasitization of Coleophora alticolella (Lepidoptera) in relation to its aititudinal distribution

Abstract. 1. The parasitization of the larvae of Coleophora alticolella . feeding on Juncus squarrosus , was investigated at a series of altitudes from 15 to 520m above sea-level in northern England during 1977 and 1978.
2. Six species of primary parasitoid and one hyperparasitoid were reared from this host. Five of the primary parasitoids were ectophagous; only two specimens of the endoparasitoid, Gonotypus melanostoma , were reared.
3. All of the parasitoid species were recorded at 15 m but fewer at sites of higher altitude. Only one species, Scambus brevicomis , was recorded above 305 m, and none above 395 m. The hyperparasitoid, Tetrastichus endemus, was present only at 15 m.
4. Percentage parasitization was highest at 15 m; it was reduced from 51% to only 2% between 215 and 305 m in 1978. There was an increase in host density over this altitudinal range.
5. Three species, Scambus brevicomis. Elachertus olivaceus and Euderus viridis , accounted for most of the parasitization, but their relative proportions vaned at different altitudes.
6. The sex-ratios of the parasitoids reared from Coleophora alticolella ranged from 3.2% females for Scambus brevicomis , which is considered to also use larger hosts, to 99.4% females for Elachertus olivaceus , which develops by thelytokous parthenogenesis.
7. Euderus viridis and Scambus brevicomis started to attack the Coleophora alticolella larvae at a later date at 245 m than at 15 m, but attack by Elachertus olivacats was not delayed at the higher site.     

Age-dependent clutch size in a koinobiont parasitoid

Abstract.  1. The Lack clutch size theory predicts how many eggs a female should lay to maximise her fitness gain per clutch. However, for parasitoids that lay multiple clutches it can overestimate optimal clutch size because it does not take into account the future reproductive success of the parasitoid.
2. From egg-limitation and time-limitation models, it is theoretically expected that (i) clutch size decreases with age if host encounter rate is constant, and (ii) clutch size should increase with host deprivation and hence with age in host-deprived individuals.
3. Clutch sizes produced by ageing females of the koinobiont gregarious parasitoid Microplitis tristis Nees (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) that were provided daily with hosts, and of females ageing with different periods of host deprivation were measured.
4. Contrary to expectations, during the first 2 weeks, clutch size did not change with the age of the female parasitoid, neither with nor without increasing host-deprivation time.
5. After the age of 2 weeks, clutch size decreased for parasitoids that parasitised hosts daily. The decrease was accompanied by a strong decrease in available eggs. However, a similar decrease occurred in host-deprived parasitoids that did not experience egg depletion, suggesting that egg limitation was not the only factor causing the decrease in clutch size.
6. For koinobiont parasitoids like M. tristis that have low natural host encounter rates and short oviposition times, the costs of reproduction due to egg limitation, time limitation, or other factors are relatively small, if the natural lifespan is relatively short.
7. Koinobiont parasitoid species that in natural situations experience little variation in host density and host quality might not have strongly evolved the ability to adjust clutch size.     

Development of the solitary endoparasitoid Microplitis demolitor: host quality does not increase with host age and size

Abstract.  1. Many studies examining the relationship between host size, an index of host quality, and parasitoid fitness use development time and/or adult parasitoid size as currencies of fitness, while ignoring pre-adult mortality. Because the physiological suitability of the host may vary in different stages, sizes, or ages of hosts, a misleading picture of host quality may therefore be obtained in cases where fitness is based on only one or two developmental traits.
2. The development of the solitary koinobiont endoparasitoid Microplitis demolitor is examined in different larval age-classes of its host the soybean looper Pseudoplusia includens . Hosts were parasitised on days 1–8 after hatching from the egg, and development time, adult body size, and mortality of the parasitoid were compared.
3. A comparison of larval growth trajectories (using dry body mass) of M. demolitor revealed that parasitoid larvae attained over twice as much body mass in old hosts than in younger hosts. Similarly, adult parasitoid size at eclosion generally increased with host size, although parasitoids developing in smaller hosts lost a much lower proportion of mass between pupation and eclosion.
4. Overall egg-to-adult development was most rapid in intermediate-aged hosts, and longer in hosts at opposite ends of the age continuum. Moreover, parasitoid mortality varied non-linearly with host stage, and was generally higher in very young and older hosts.
5. Based on these results and other empirical data for koinobionts, it is argued that fitness functions in this group of parasitoids are not simply a positive function of host size or age, but instead may be distinctly dome-shaped, both patterns reflecting the degree of physiological and nutritional compatibility between the two organisms.     

Functional response,host stage preference and interference of two whitefly parasitoids

The functional responses of two parasitoids, Eretmocerus hayati Zolnerowich & Rose and Encarsia sophia Girault & Dodd, of whitefly Bemisia tabaci Gennadius Middle East‐Asia Minor 1 were studied under laboratory conditions. In addition, the influence of host density and host stage on the competitive interactions between the two parasitoids, and biological control effect on whitefly were evaluated. In the functional response study, adult parasitoids were tested individually, with a conspecific or heterospecific competitor. Both Er. hayati and En. sophia exhibited a type II response to increasing host density, whether a conspecific or heterospecific competitor was present or not. Difference of searching rates and handling times between treatments suggested interference interactions existed between two parasitoid species. In the host stage preference study, two parasitoid species were jointly tested. Er. hayati had a competitive advantage over En. sophia when provided young host instars (first and second instar), whereas no advantage was found on old host instars (third and fourth instar). The biological control effect of Er. hayati and En. sophia in different introductions varied with host density. However, the effect of host instar on host mortality was not significant. These findings provide information for the practice of biological control and give better insight into how parasitoid species may coexist in diverse environments.     

Impact of Two Accidentally Introduced Encarsia Species (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) and Other Biotic and Abiotic Factors on the Spiralling Whitefly Aleurodicus dispersus (Russell) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), in Benin, West Africa

In early 1993, the spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus dispersus (Russell), was observed in Benin for the first time, inflicting damage to ornamental and shade trees and cassava. The parasitoids Encarsia ?haitiensis Dozier and E. guadeloupae Viggiani were observed in the second half of 1993. They were known to have the same host in the Pacific region, and were thought to have been introduced accidentally. The impact of these parasitoids was quantified using four surveys from 1993 to 1995 (on 2541 trees in 537 localities) and by population studies on guava. In 1993, A. dispersus occurred mostly in towns in the southern part of Benin; penetration into farmland was observed later. E. ?haitiensis was more abundant and widespread than E. guadeloupae , and by 1995 it had been recovered from most (84%) of the infested localities. On guava trees, the annual peaks of A. dispersus population declined by ca. 80% between 1993 and 1996. During the same period parasitism rates increased. Econometric multiple regression analyses based on 996 infested trees demonstrated that A. dispersus population densities, the proportion of infested trees and damage scores all declined significantly with increasing duration of the presence of the parasitoids, indicating their impact. Other variables were also significantly related to A. dispersus levels.     

Parasrnzatlon of bemisia argentifolii (Hom.: Aleyrodidae) by encarsia pergandiella (Hym.: Apheunidae)

The biology of the arrhenotokous autoparasitoid,Encarsia pergandiella Howard, was studied in the laboratory on the silverleaf whitefly,Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring. Egg to adult development of parasitoid females averaged ca. 14 days at about 25.3+0.2?C regardless of whether the whitefly host was reared on tomato, eggplant or squash. While all instars ofB. argentifolii were accepted for primary parasitization, a greater percentage of third and fourth instars were parasitized. Mortality of whitefly nymphs in the absence of parasitization did not differ among instars and averaged about 35%. Second instar to pupal parasitoid females were accepted for secondary parasitization although a greater percent of pupal females were parasitized. About 40% of immatureE. pergandiella females more than 4 days old died in the absence of secondary parasitization when exposed to adultE. pergandiella females.     

Whitefly control in cut gerbera: is it possible to control Trialeurodes vaporariorum with Encarsia formosa?

We investigated the impact of inundative releases of the parasitoid, Encarsia formosa Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), for control of greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood), on cut gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii L.) under controlled greenhouse conditions. Experimental units consisted of ten plants covered and separated from other units by gauze tents. We assessed three release rates of the aphelinid parasitoid: a 7-week experiment with a standard release rate (10 m⁻²/14 days), and a subsequent 3-month trial with high (100 m⁻²/week) and very high (1,000 m⁻²/week) release rates. Experimental units without release of parasitoids served as control treatment. Gerbera plants were infested initially with 50–100 juvenile and 50–70 adult whiteflies in the first experiment, and in the second experiment with less than 50 juveniles per plant and 50–70 adults. Whitefly and parasitoid population density were assessed in weekly intervals using infestation and activity categories. Results show that parasitized whiteflies were present in all treatments within 2 weeks after initial release. Unfortunately, it was not possible to control whiteflies with standard release rates of E. formosa. Although parasitism rates slightly increased, the effect on whitefly populations was negligible. Large amounts of honeydew and growth of sooty mold fungi caused the termination of the first experiment. In a second experiment, E. formosa was tested at 10–100 times higher release densities. In contrast to the first experiment, whitefly densities increased steadily during the first 8 weeks, but remained constant until the end of the experiment in both treatments. Parasitism by E. formosa reached its maximum after 8 weeks. We discuss possible reasons for the low efficiency of E. formosa as a whitefly antagonist in greenhouse production of gerbera.     

Cascading effects of variation in plant vigour on the relative performance of insect herbivores and their parasitoids

Abstract 1. Consequences of variation in food plant quality were estimated for a system consisting of two monophagous noctuid herbivores and three ichneumonid parasitoids.
2. In a natural population, pupal weights of the herbivores in this system, Nonagria typhae and Archanara sparganii , were found to be highly variable. Pupal weights increased strongly and consistently with the increase in the vigour of the host plant, Typha latifolia , providing support for the plant vigour hypothesis. Correspondingly, as the moths do not feed as adults, a strong, positive correlation between host vigour and fecundity of the herbivores would be expected.
3. There were strong and positive relationships between adult body sizes of the parasitoids and the sizes of their lepidopteran hosts. Moreover, a direct, positive link between plant quality and parasitoid size was documented.
4. For all three parasitoids, cascading effects of plant quality on body size were weaker than for the herbivores. Differences in the importance of adult feeding and oviposition behaviour suggest that dependence of fitness on body size is also weaker in the parasitoids than in the moths. It is therefore concluded that the numerical response of the herbivore population to a change in plant quality should exceed the corresponding response in the parasitoids.
5. The results of this work imply that variation in plant variables may affect performance of different trophic levels to a different extent. It is suggested that the importance of adult feeding for the reproductive success (capital vs. income breeding strategies) in both herbivores and parasitoids is an essential aspect to consider when predicting responses of such a system to changes in plant quality.