Petr Starý

Aphid parasites (Hymenoptera, Aphidiidae) of the Mediterranean area.

Thats it, a book to wait for in this month. Even you have wanted for long time for releasing this book aphid parasites hymenoptera aphidiidae of the mediterranean area; you may not be able to get in some stress. Should you go around and seek fro the book until you really get it? Are you sure? Are you that free? This condition will force you to always end up to get a book. But now, we are coming to give you excellent solution.

Cryptic Species of Parasitoids Attacking the Soybean Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Asia: Binodoxys communis and Binodoxys koreanus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae)

ABSTRACT Collections of parasitoids attacking the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), in South Korea yielded specimens that were originally identified as Binodoxys communis (Gahan) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). We report here on laboratory studies indicating that this population is actually a previously unknown species of Binodoxys. Four classes of comparisons were made between the Korean population and a Chinese population that also had been identified as B. communis. The comparisons included 1) mating trials coupled with behavioral observations and spermathecal examinations, 2) assessment of nucleotide divergence at two mitochondrial and two nuclear gene loci, 3) patterns of host use, and 4) reassessment of morphological characters. These studies revealed premating reproductive isolation of the two populations and minor nucleotide differences in mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I sequences and nuclear internal transcriber spacer 1 sequences, providing strong indications that they are different species. Subtle morphological differences also were discovered that confirmed that the Chinese population corresponds to B. communis, whereas the Korean population does not. We propose the name Binodoxys koreanus StarÝ, sp. n. for the Korean population. The two species exhibited similar host ranges in the laboratory, the most notable exception being that B. koreanus, sp. n. is better able to develop in a population of Aphis craccivora Koch that harbors the bacterial endosymbiont Hamiltonella defensa Moran, which seems to strongly interfere with the development of B. communis. We discuss the implications of our results for biological control introductions against the soybean aphid in North America.

Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) of Northeastern Iran: Aphidiine-Aphid-Plant Associations, Key and Description of a New Species

Abstract Aphid parasitoids of the subfamily Aphidiinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of northeastern Iran were studied in this paper. A total of 29 species are keyed and illustrated with line drawings. The aphidiines presented in this work have been reared from 42 aphid host taxa occurring on 49 plant taxa from a total of 33 sampling sites. Sixty-six aphidiine-aphid-plant associations are presented. Trioxys metacarpalis sp. nov. from Chaitaphis tenuicaudata Nevsky (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Kochia scoparia, is described. The species diversity based on the comparative faunistic analysis is discussed.

Aphid parasites (Hymenoptera, Aphidiidae) of the Central Asian area

An analysis of the particular topics in biological control programmes all over the world indicates an increased interest in the utilization of aphid parasites. Besides the so-called traditional biological control of introduced aphids, there appears a situation which could perhaps be called a renaissance of biocontrol, i. e. the utilization of biotic agents against insecticide-resistant populations of aphid pests. The rapid increase in the amount of information as well as the necessity of syntheti- cal papers are the well-known features in todays entomology. This requirement is much more topical in the groups where brief summarized information is needed for research workers in applied branches. The author has been well aware of all these difficulties and requirements owing to his own experience both in basic and applied research. Several years ago he decided to summarize our knowledge on the aphid parasites of the world by elaborating synthetical studies on the particular zoogeographical areas. These papers have been intended to represent annotated reviews of the parasite fauna, distribution, biologies and utilization in aphid pest management, with keys to genera and species, hos- parasite catalogue, and a list of references added. Naturally, these studies are only relatively updated, with respect to a certain deadline from which the research may be further continued. At present, the Far East Asian and the Mediterranean areas have been reviewed in this or at least in a similar manner.

Opportunistic changes in the host range of Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cr.), an exotic aphid parasitoid expanding in the Iberian Peninsula

Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cr.), an exotic aphid parasitoid, but widespread along the West Mediterranean and Atlantic coastal areas, was regularly found in the northeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula parasitizing several aphid hosts, inland and in the Pyrenees. It was found that the environmentally induced restriction of available host species together with the opportunistic response and host alternation of the parasitoid contributed to the successful and on-going expansion and establishment of L. testaceipes from the coast to the inland montane areas of the Iberian Peninsula. Also, a comparison of the overall host range of L. testaceipes in several areas of the West Mediterranean/Atlantic (southern France, Spain, Portugal) demonstrated a rapid increase in the host range in these areas.

Alternative host and parasitoid in first method in aphid pest management in glasshouses

A new method primarily utilising alternative hosts of aphid parasitoids as biocontrol agents in glasshouses is described and demonstrated on a model situation: Schizaphis graminum (Rond.) on wheat (non‐target plant culture), Myzus persicae (Sulz.) on beans (target plant culture), and Aphidius colemani Vier. and Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cr.) parasitising both aphid species. The principle of the method is an intentional primary introduction of an association of a non‐pest aphid (S. graminum on cereals) and associated parasitoids (A. colemani, L. testaceipes) in a pest‐aphid free glasshouse where a target crop is or will be grown (beans as a model); if a target pest (M. persicae) is accidentally introduced, the parasitoid populations drift from the reservoirs (S. graminum on cereals) and attack populations of the target pest. The method is compared with the “Pest in first” method in glasshouses.

Regional tritrophic relationship patterns of five aphid parasitoid species (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) in agroecosystem-dominated landscapes of southeastern Europe.

ABSTRACT A regional survey of the complex tritrophic associations (parasitoid-aphid-plant) of aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) was carried out to determine and explore the patterns of those associations in various types of environments. Here, we present trophic relationship patterns of the five aphid parasitoid species in crop and noncrop habitats in southeastern Europe, and we contrast them in a regional (Mediterranean [MED] versus continental [CNT]) context. In total, 79 aphid host taxa were identified in this survey. Forty-two of these were recorded from noncrop plants only, 21 from crop plants only, and 18 were present on both types of plants. This means that ≈74% of all the parasitoid-aphid trophic interactions that support the persistence of the five selected parasitoids are entirely (54%) or partially (20%) associated with noncrop plants. The correspondence of parasitoid-aphid combinations among habitat/region combinations is very high and specific. Our results suggest that Mediterranean and continental regions are clearly distinguished by a contrasting pattern of trophic interactions in crop habitats, whereas the noncrop habitats contribute in lesser degree to these differences. For the crop/noncrop breakdown, the number of nonspecific interactions was larger than expected in crop habitats, whereas in noncrop habitats the abundance of partially specific and specific interactions was larger. The analysis of variance for the regional and habitat distribution of mean aphid host number per parasitoid was highly significant. When both regions were analyzed separately, the parasitoid/crop design showed significant parasitoid effects as well as interactions, whereas the habitat effect was not significant for the Mediterranean region and highly so for the continental region. This highly complex pattern suggests that the mean number of parasitized aphid species is not distributed among parasitoids, regions, and habitats in a similar manner. Even with these complexities taken into account, the overall trend is that noncrop habitats support more parasitoid-aphid combinations and more so in the continental than in Mediterranean regions, although not always statistically significant. As mentioned, large number of noncrop aphid hosts, especially for Lysiphlebus fabarum (Marshall), Praon volucre (Haliday) and Aphidius colemani Viereck, can significantly enhance the population buildup for these important parasitoids around agroecosystems. These facts can be important in biological aphid pest control in the region. Although not easily quantified, the overall positive effects of larger parasitoid diversity in noncrop habitats are undoubtedly related to the distribution and structure of noncrop habitat patches in agroecosystems at a landscape scale.

Seasonal parasitism of cereal aphids in a Mediterranean arable crop system

We monitored winter cereal fields in a Mediterranean arable crop system to obtain information about the aphid parasitoid species composition and the aphid–parasitoid interactions through the whole cropping cycle. Nine species of aphid primary parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) were identified. The most abundant species were Aphidius rhopalosiphi, Aphidius matricariae, Aphidius ervi and Lysiphlebus testaceipes. The genus Aphelinus sp. (Hym., Aphelinidae) was also identified. We determined seasonal host–parasitoid associations over the entire cereal crop cycle. A number of new such associations were recorded, which were previously unknown in Spain and Europe. Our results indicated broad associations of L. testaceipes and A. matricariae with cereal aphids; furthermore, the association of Aphelinus sp. with several cereal aphid species was also substantial. In the NE of the Iberian Peninsula, the cereal aphid parasitoids that we identified are able to develop throughout the crop season on one or more host species. Thus, the main aphid species can be parasitized effectively throughout the entire cereal crop cycle. We discuss the role of cereal aphid parasitoids in the region in the context of our experimental results.

Morphological Characterization of Ephedrus persicae Biotypes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) in the Palaearctic

ABSTRACT Ephedrus persicae Froggatt (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) represents a biologically complex parasitoid species group that parasitizes >150 aphid species worldwide, including many pests in different agroecosystems. Evidence from the host range indicated some taxonomic problems within this species-complex. Using classical and geometric morphometric approaches, we assessed the morphological differences among various E. persicae biotypes in the Palaearctic reared from 20 aphid hosts. We found that morphological variability of E. persicae biotypes was influenced by the host. Classical morphometric analysis indicated a conservative position of E. persicae biotypes in the Palaearctic. Our analysis showed that E. persicae biotypes reared from nonleaf-curling Aphis and leaf-curling Dysaphis aphid hosts have significant differences, but all other analyzed E. persicae biotypes have an intermediate position, making it impracticable to split the E. persicae group this way. However, geometric morphometrics used to analyze variation of wing shape showed better predictive ability. The high ratio of correctly assigned individuals based on the wing shape of E. persicae/Aphis viticis Ferrari, E. persicae/Brachycaudus klugkisti (Börner), and E. persicae/Tuberocephalus momonis (Matsumura) biotypes indicates that some host-specific adaptations occurred. The E. persicae/ Hyadaphis foeniculi (Passerini) biotype is clearly separated along the CV2 canonical axis, exhibiting shorter and wider wings. On the basis of this result, we describe a new taxon—Ephedrus lonicerae n. sp.

A survey of aphid parasitoids in Kahramanmaras, Turkey (Hymenoptera: Braconidae, Aphidiinae; and Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae).

A list of aphid parasitoids found in a survey conducted between 1999 and 2001 in Kahramanmaras Province of Turkey is presented. Nineteen taxa of aphid parasitoids were found on 30 hosts.Pauesia picta (Haliday) is reported for the first time from Turkey. Two check-lists are presented, by host aphids and by plant species.