The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia pipientis manipulates host reproduction by rendering infected males reproductively incompatible with uninfected females (cytoplasmic incompatibility; CI). CI is believed to occur as a result of Wolbachia-induced modifications to sperm during maturation, which prevent infected sperm from initiating successful zygote development when fertilizing uninfected fe...

A microsporidium that closely resembles Paranosema species at the level of the light microscope was isolated from the rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus. It's identity as Nosema oryzaephili (originally described from Oryzaephilus surinamensis) was confirmed by comparison with a known isolate of N. oryzaephili based on spore size, small subunit rDNA sequence, and relative infectivity t...

Macrolophus pygmaeus Rambur (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a generalist predatory mirid widely used in augmentative biological control of various insect pests in greenhouse tomato production in Europe, including the invasive tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera, Gelechiidae). However, its biocontrol efficacy often relies on the presence of alternative prey. The present study aimed at...

Enterococcus mundtii strains isolated from the larval feces of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella show antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The in vitro probiotic characterization of one isolate revealed a high auto-aggregation score, a hydrophilic cell surface, tolerance for low pH, no hemolytic activity, and susceptibility ...

The convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is an important predator of soft-bodied insect pests in many regions of the United States, but generally uncommon in Florida citrus. Certain citrus producers in Florida recently initiated releases of commercially available H. convergens from California against the Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citr...

Food characteristics strongly regulate digestive enzymatic activity of insects through direct influences on their midgut mechanisms. Insect performance is better on diets that contain nutrients in proportions that fit its digestive enzymes. Little is known about the influences of rearing history on parasitism success of Habrobracon hebetor Say. This research focused on the effect of nutrient re...

ویژگی‌های زیستی به‌ویژه رفتار تخمریزی زنبورهای پارازیتویید یکی از مهم‌ترین عوامل تعیین‌کننده کارایی آنها در مدیریت جمعیت آفت میزبان می‌باشد. این مطالعه الگوی وابسته به سن، نرخ پارازیتیسم، درصد تفریخ و نسبت جنسی زنبور Trichogramma brassicae روی Ephestia kuehniella شرایط آزمایشگاهی (1±25 درجه سلسیوس، رطوبت نسبی %5±70 دوره نوری 16: 8 ساعت (روشنایی: تاریکی)) بررسی شد. نتایج نشان داد T. سنین جوانی (...