Some species have insufficient defenses against climate change, emerging infectious diseases, and non-native species because they have not been exposed to these factors over their evolutionary history, and this can decrease their likelihood of persistence. Captive breeding programs are sometimes used to reintroduce individuals back into the wild; however, successful captive breeding and reintro...

Empirical studies have shown that populations of larval mosquitoes developing in ground pools are subjected to different mortality factors than populations developing in water-filled containers. In general, larvae in ground pools are limited by natural enemies whereas those in containers are limited by resource availability. Containers also are typically smaller than ground pools and lack appre...

Two venerable hypotheses, widely cited as explanations for either the success or failure of introduced species in recipient communities, are the natural enemies hypothesis and the biotic resistance hypothesis. The natural enemies hypothesis posits that introduced organisms spread rapidly because they are liberated from their co-evolved predators, pathogens and herbivores. The biotic resistance ...

Foreign exploration is a major component of a classical biological control program. Exploration within the home range of the target can be a daunting proposition as the target is most likely rare with an irregular distribution. As costs and greater regulatory oversight increase, classical biological control programs targeting arthropods need to complete preliminary steps prior to embarking on a...

Landscape diversification is a key element for the development of sustainable agriculture. This study explores whether the implementation of habitats for pest natural enemies enhances conservation biological control in an adjacent field. In the present study conducted in Gembloux (Belgium) in 2016, the effect of two different habitats (wildflower strips and a forest) and aphid abundance on the ...

Bellows TS and Fisher TW (eds.) (1999) Handbook of Biological Control: Principles and Applications of Biological Control. San Diego: Academic Press. Clausen CP (ed.) (1978) Agricultural Research Service: Handbook No. 480: Introduced Parasites and Predators of Arthropod Pests and Weeds: A World Review. Washington, DC: USDA: Agricultural Research Service. DeBach P and Rosen D (1991) Biological Co...

The relative importance of bottom-up or top-down forces has been mainly studied for herbivores but rarely for pollinators. Habitat fragmentation might change driving forces of population dynamics by reducing the area of resource-providing habitats, disrupting habitat connectivity, and affecting natural enemies more than their host species. We studied spatial and temporal population dynamics of ...

Interactions between wild flora, crops, aphids (Hemiptera, Aphididae) and their natural enemies in citrus orchards

Natural or synthetic elicitors can affect plant physiology by stimulating direct and indirect defence responses to herbivores. For example, increased production of plant secondary metabolites, a direct response, can negatively affect herbivore survival, development and fecundity. Indirect responses include increased emission of plant volatiles that influence herbivore and natural enemy behaviou...

Japanese honeysuckle is rapidly increasing as a weed throughout most of the North Island and northern South Island of New Zealand. A classical biological control programme was initiated in 2004–2005 with a survey of the natural invertebrate fauna and pathogens associated with the weed in New Zealand. The honeysuckle was being attacked by a diverse range of native and introduced invertebrates. B...