Climate and the effectiveness of Psyllaephagus bliteus as a parasitoid of the red gum lerp psyllid |
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| Authors: | Kent M Daane Karen R Sime Timothy D Paine |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management , University of California , Berkeley , CA , USA;2. Department of Biological Sciences , State University of New York , Oswego , NY , USA;3. Department of Entomology , University of California , Riverside , CA , USA |
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| Abstract: | The encyrtid parasitoid Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek was introduced to California in 2000 to control the red gum lerp psyllid, Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore. Field experiments were conducted to determine the effect of regional summer climate (California coastal vs. interior valleys) on P. bliteus performance. Measurements of parasitoid performance, including reproduction and longevity, showed that P. bliteus was adversely affected by the extreme summer heat in the interior valley sites. The results suggest that regional climatic differences can contribute to the lower parasitism rates observed in California's warmer interior valleys. The results are discussed with respect to biological control of G. brimblecombei and the potential limitations of the parasitoid P. bliteus, as well as the possible impact of climate and intraguild predation as alternative hypotheses for the observed variable geographic performance of P. bliteus. |
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| Keywords: | biological control eucalyptus Glycaspis brimblecombei intraguild predation temperature tolerances |
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