We describe the gut bacterial diversity inhabiting two saprophagous syrphids and their breeding substrate (decayed tissues of the columnar cactus Isolatocereus dumortieri). We analyzed the gut microbiota of Copestylum latum (scooping larvae that feed on decayed cactus tissues) and Copestylum limbipenne (whose larvae can also feed on semiliquid tissues) using molecular techniques. DNA was extrac...

The cotton aphid Aphis gossypii Glover is the main aphid pest in cotton fields in the Yangtze River Valley Cotton-planting Zone (YRZ) in central China. Various natural enemies may attack the cotton aphid in Bt cotton fields but no studies have identified potential specific top-down forces that could help manage this pest in the YRZ in China. In order to identify possibilities for managing the c...

Three bioassays were used to examine the oviposition behaviour of the hoverfly, Episyrphus balteatus (Degeer) in which various stimuli purported to influence host assessment and choice were tested. Episyrphus balteatus failed to exhibit enhanced behavioural responses, in terms of approaches and landings, to artificial leaves with the highest numbers of aphids, suggesting that females are merely...

The aphids Lipaphis erysimi pseudobrassicae (Davis) and Myzus persicae (Sulzer) pose serious threats to the production of cruciferous crops in tropics. Understanding their population dynamics is important for developing integrated pest management programmes minimize damage crops. This study investigated effects climatic factors, natural enemies plant age on these pests. density 20 cabbage plant...

A major problem related to the treatment of ecosystems is that they have no available mathematical formalization. This implies that many of their properties are not presented as short, rigorous modalities, but rather as long expressions which, from a biological standpoint, totally capture the significance of the property, but which have the disadvantage of not being sufficiently manageable, fro...

Wheat being staple food of Pakistan is constantly attacked by major wheat aphid species, Schizaphis graminum (R.), Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) and Sitobion avenae (F.). Due to concern on synthetic chemical use in wheat, it is imperative to search for alternative environment- and human- friendly control measures such as botanical pesticides. In the present study, we evaluated the comparative role of...