To study whether natural variation in Arabidopsis thaliana could be used to dissect the genetic basis of responses to herbivory in terms of induced volatile emissions, nine accessions were characterized upon herbivory by biting-chewing Pieris rapae caterpillars or after treatment with the phytohormone jasmonic acid (JA). Analysis of 73 compounds in the headspace showed quantitative differences ...

Isoprene is the most abundant volatile compound emitted by vegetation. It influences air chemistry and is part of plant defense against abiotic stresses. However, whether isoprene influences biotic interactions between plants and other organisms has not been investigated to date. Here we show a new effect of isoprene, namely its influence on interactions between plants and insects. Herbivory in...

There are five discernible phases in the evolution of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme for the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) in Malaysia, namely: 1) Initial phase; 2) Intensification phase; 3) Crisis phase; 4) Disaster phase; and 5) IPM phase. This outline enables an understanding of the genesis of a farmer first approach to IPM. All five p...

Effects of nectar-producing plants (NPP) on the longevity, fecundity, oviposition and nectar-collecting behaviour of Diadegma insulare were studied. Longevity and fecundity of D. insulare were varied with morphological characters of NPP’s flowers. Brassica kaber (D.C) Wheeler, Barbarea vulgaris R. Br. and Daucus carota L. supplied nectar and resulted in D. insulare longevity and fecundity equal...

The ecological safety of transgenic insecticidal plants expressing crystal proteins (Cry toxins) from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) continues to be debated. Much of the debate has focused on nontarget organisms, especially predators and parasitoids that help control populations of pest insects in many crops. Although many studies have been conducted on predators, few reports have ex...

a survey was performed to investigate the fauna of ichneumonidae in fars province during 2012 to 2013. totally, 14 species belonging to 13 genera and six subfamilies were collected and identified including: exetastes adpressorius (thunberg, 1822) (banchinae); diadegma semiclausum (hellén, 1949) (campopleginae); cryptus inculcator (linnaeus, 1758); dichrogaster saharator (aubert, 1964) (cryptina...