Erdal Sertkaya

Egg and Larval Parasitoids of the Beet Armyworm Spodoptera exigua on Maize in Turkey

The present study was conducted to determine egg and larval parasitoids of the beet armywormSpodoptera exigua Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which is an important but sporadic pest in Turkey. High beet armyworm population levels were recently observed in fields of first and second crop maize in the southeast Mediterranean region of Turkey. The parasitoid species complex and its impact on the pest were analyzed in a 4-year study in first and second crop maize. The braconid larval parasitoidsMicroplitis rufiventris Kokujev,M. tuberculifer Wesmael,Meteorus ictericus Nees,Chelonus obscuratus (Herrich Schäffer) (an egg-larval parasitoid),Apanteles ruficrus (Haliday); the ichneumonid larval parasitoidsHyposoter didymator (Thunberg) andSinophorus xanthostomus Gravenhorst; and the egg parasitoidTrichogramma evanescens (Westwood) were found to be the natural enemies attacking the pest. Among the parasitoid species the solitary endoparasitoidH. didymator was the most prevalent species, being reared from 40.5% of the parasitized larvae found. Higher parasitism rates were recorded on first crop than on second crop maize in every year. Possible reasons for this difference in larval parasitism between two growing seasons include lower population of the pest and reduced insecticide applications in first crop maize fields which permitted higher parasitism. However, parasitoid activity was insufficient to counterbalance the population growth of the pest on subsequent second crop maize.

Parasitoid Community of the Loreyi Leaf Worm Mythimna (Acantholeucania) loreyi: Novel Host-Parasitoid Associations and Their Efficiency in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of Turkey

The loreyi leaf worm,Mythimna (Acantholeucania) loreyi Duponchel (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), is a pest of gramineous crops and causes significant economic damage to maize. In field surveys on maize to determine the parasitoid community and its impact on the pest in the eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey, nine parasitoid species were found associated with immature stages ofM. loreyi: The hymenopteran (Braconidae and Ichneumonidae) parasitoidsCotesia (=Apanteles) ruficrus (Haliday),Chelonus oculator Panzer,Meteorus ictericus Nees,Hyposoter didymator (Thunberg),Sinophorus sp.; and the dipteran (Tachinidae) parasitoidsPseudogonia rufifrons Wiedeman,Exorista rossica Mesnil,Gonia picea (Robineau-Desvoidy) andLinnaemya vulpina (Fallen) — the last three recorded for the first time as parasitoids ofM. loreyi in Turkey.C. ruficrus was the dominant parasitoid species, being recovered from 38.5% of the larvae collected and was also the most prevalent species, existing in 91.0% of the fields in whichM. loreyi was found. Total parasitism levels achieved by braconid species was 41.4%, by ichneumonid parasitoids 4.8%, and by tachinid parasitoids 1.9%. In a separate field experiment, seasonal population fluctuations and natural efficiency ofC. ruficrus onM. loreyi were found to be 35.1% and 42.4%, respectively. Population levels ofC. ruficrus were closely related to fluctuations in the population ofM. loreyi, with parasitism ranging between 0 and 77.3% during the study.

Adult parasitoid species and parasitization rates of Sunn pest Eurygaster integriceps Puton (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae) and fecundity of the parasitised females in Karacadağ overwintering region and Diyarbakır cereal fields

The current was study focused on the adult parasitoids of the Sunn pest, Eurygaster integriceps Puton, which are important factors to suppress the Sunn pest populations. Overwintered Sunn pest adults were collected from Bismil, Ergani, Sur and Central districts of Diyarbakir province of Turkey to determine the difference of fecundity between parasitized and un-parasitized adults. For this purpose, Sunn pest adults were sampled starting from the start of the migration from the overwintering sites to the plains at the end of March and during April, and cereal fields of Diyarbakir province were also surveyed between April and July. Parasitism rates in overwintering Sunn pest female and male were 11.06%-7.83% in 2013-2014, 4.27%-4.01% in 2014 respectively. Comparing the parasitism rates, it was also determined that the adult females of the Sunn pest were preferred over the males. Parasitized females produced significantly less eggs comparing to the un-parasitized ones.

Hatay ili ayçiçeği üretim alanlarında bulunan böcek faunasının ve bunların popülasyon yoğunluklarının belirlenmesi

Bu calisma 2009-2010 yillarinda Hatay Iline bagli Kirikhan ve Reyhanli ilcelerindeki iki tarlada yurutulmus olup, aycicegi (Helianthus annuus L.; Asteraceae, Asterales) bitkisinde bulunan fitofag turler, dogal dusman turleri ve bunlarin populasyon yogunluklarinin belirlenmesi amaclanmistir. Haftalik olarak 25 bitkide yapilan sayimlar, bitkinin cikistan itibaren 6-8 yaprakli fide donemine kadar tum toprak ustu aksami kontrol edilerek, sekiz yaprakli donemden tabla olusturma donemine kadar alt, orta ve ust yapraklardan secilmek uzere uc yaprakta sayim yapilarak, tabla doneminden itibaren ise hem uc yaprakta sayim yaparak hem de bitkinin tablasi atrap icine 5-10 sn boyunca hizli bir sekilde silkelenerek yapilmistir. Yapilan ornekleme ve sayimlar sonucunda uc takima ait 10 familyaya bagli 28 fitofag tur ve bes takima ait yedi familyaya bagli 17 predator ve dort parazitoit tur olmak uzere 21 yararli tur elde edilmistir. Beyaz sinek ve yaprak biti populasyonlarinin genellikle fide doneminde, Asymmetrasca decedens (Paoli) (Cicadellidae) ve diger Hemipter turlerin populasyonlarinin ise tabla doneminde daha yogun oldugu gorulmustur. Dogal dusmanlardan Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera; Chrysopidae) fide doneminden tabla donemine kadar en sik rastlanilan tur olurken bu donemden sonra coccinellid ve Orius spp. (Anthocoridae) populasyonlarinda belirgin bir artis gorulmustur.