Biological control on crop infesting insects represent an useful method in modem agriculture. A search for parasitoids of the macadamia nutborer was carried out during a three year study, and their effect on the population fluctuation of the borer was determined. An egg parasitoid belonging to the family Trichogrammatidae and four larval parasitoids, Microgastrine I, Microgastrine II, Ascogaste...

The advent of parasite genome sequencing projects, as well as an increase in biology-directed gene discovery, promises to reveal genes encoding many of the key molecules required for nematode-host interactions. However, distinguishing parasitism genes from those merely required for nematode viability remains a substantial challenge. Although this will ultimately require a functional test in the...

the sunn pest, eurygaster integriceps puton, is a serious pest of wheat in coraim region of ardabil province. in this study, the egg parasitoids of sunn pest was collected and identified in this region during 2007 and 2008. also, the percentage of egg parasitism was determined in 14 different defined areas in this region. the areas 1-3 were selected in irrigated wheat fields in the presence of ...

Brood parasites are expected to lay only one egg per parasitized nest, as the existence of several parasitic nestlings in a brood increases competition and can lead starvation some them. However, multiparasitism (laying two or more eggs by females single host nest) is surprisingly frequent. Here, we study different same female (repeated parasitism) great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius, non-...

By combining pesticide exclusion and cage exclusion techniques, the efficacy of natural enemies in reducing populations of Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), the beet armyworm, larvae was effectively demonstrated. Larval collections added information about parasitism and disease, and when combined with data from insecticide treatments, demonstrated that differences in S. exigua population densities us...

parasitoids of the genus, trichogramma are the most widely used natural enemies for biological control of pests worldwide. the presence of flowering plants can improve efficiency of biological control agents by supplying sugar resource for parasitoids. in this study, two experiments were performed under laboratory condition (at 25±1ºc, 60±10% rh and a photoperiod 16l:8d), to evaluate the effect...

Brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) are obligate brood-parasites, that is, female cowbirds lay their eggs in nests of other species. If the cowbird eggs are accepted, the host pair may raise the young cowbird, often at a reduction of the hosts’ reproductive success. Cowbird females are also known to remove host eggs and nestlings from nests, which may also affect the reproductive success of ...

A genetic analysis of parasitic ability in the soybean cyst nematode Heterodera glycines was performed. To identify and characterize genes involved in parasitism, we developed three highly inbred H. glycines lines, OP20, OP25 and OP50, for use as parents for controlled crosses. Through these crosses, we have identified genes in the inbred parents that control reproduction of the nematode on hos...

Brood parasites can appreciably decrease fecundity of susceptible songbird hosts, which can often cause a decrease in host abundance. Wildlife managers use brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) management to reduce parasitism frequency and benefit the conservation of the endangered black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla); however, intensity of management needed to increase vireo abundance is not...