Functional response and mutual interference are the most important behavioural characteristics that reveal different aspects of host–parasitoid interactions. In this study, functional response and mutual interference of the parasitoid wasp, Diaeretiella rapae (M’Intosh) attacking the cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus) were investigated. Logistic regression was used to distinguish t...

In the interaction between two ecologically-associated species, the population structure of one species may affect the population structure of the other. Here, we examine the population structures of the aphid Metopeurum fuscoviride, a specialist on tansy Tanacetum vulgare, and its specialist primary hymenopterous parasitoid Lysiphlebus hirticornis, both of which are characterized by multivolti...

Aphids commonly harbor bacterial facultative symbionts that have a variety of effects upon their aphid hosts, including defense against hymenopteran parasitoids and fungal pathogens. The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is infected with the symbiont Arsenophonus sp., which has an unknown role in its aphid host. Our research goals were to document the infection fre...

Antagonistic interactions between the nymphal parasitoid, Tamarixia radiata Waterston (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), and the ARSEF 3581 strain of the entomopathogenic fungus, Isaria fumosorosea Wize (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae), could disrupt biological control of the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae). Three interactions were evaluated under laboratory conditio...

Plant genotypes are known to affect performance of insect herbivores and the community structure of both herbivores and higher trophic levels. Still, only a limited number of studies demonstrate differences in the performance of predators and parasitoids because of plant genotypic effects and most of these focus on gall formers. We designed a greenhouse experiment to investigate the effects of ...

We hypothesized that a parasitoid of an herbivore would be attracted to large rather than small patches of plants that provide food for the herbivore. We conducted experiments to determine whether such parasitoids would be more likely to find and/or less likely to leave large patches of their victims' host plants. We also examined whether prey density (independent of patch size) affects plant f...

Aphidius transcaspicus Telenga, a mealy plum aphid (Hyalopterus pruni Geoffroy) parasitoid from the Mediterranean, was recently introduced into Hawaii for control of invasive aphids. Under laboratory conditions the parasitoid successfully attacked several important aphid pests in Hawaii, including the melon aphid Aphis gossypii Glover, the banana aphid Pentalonia nigronervosa (Coquerel), the gr...

Natural enemies are important ecological and evolutionary forces, and heritable variation in resistance to enemies is a prerequisite for adaptive responses of populations. Such variation in resistance has been previously documented for pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) attacked by the parasitoid wasp Aphidius ervi. Although the variation was presumed to reflect genotypic differences among the ap...

Biological control of aphids can be achieved with parasitoids. A parasitoid is a wasp able to parasitize aphids in a host-specific way. These natural enemies of aphids are used in organic or integrated pest management strategies. In order to apply the matching parasitoid against a given aphid species, the aphid has to be detected in the crop and subsequently identified. By the time the aphids a...

Parasitoid wasps are valuable biological control agents that suppress their host populations. Factors introduced by the female wasp at parasitization play significant roles in facilitating successful development of the parasitoid larva either inside (endoparasitoid) or outside (ectoparasitoid) the host. Wasp venoms consist of a complex cocktail of proteinacious and non-proteinacious components ...