Aphid honeydew: An arrestant and a contact kairomone for Episyrphus balteatus (Diptera: Syrphidae) larvae and adults

Leroy, Pascal; Almohamad, Raki; Attia, Sabrine; Capella, Quentin; Verheggen, François; Haubruge, Éric; Francis, Frédéric

doi:10.14411/eje.2014.028

Cited by 22 publications

(31 citation statements)

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“…We showed that the probability that a dispersing E. balteatus larva will visit a certain plant increases with increasing aphid number. As it is known that hoverfly larvae intensify their search activity in areas where honeydew is present (Leroy et al, 2014), high amounts of honeydew that accumulate on aphid-infested plants and in the vicinity might be an important search cue for E. balteatus larvae. Larger aphid colonies produce more honeydew, which increases the probability that larvae will climb plants that contain high numbers of aphids.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dealing with food shortage: larval dispersal behaviour and survival on non‐prey food of the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

Vosteen

Gershenzon

Kunert

2018

Ecological Entomology

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Abstract. 1. Predatory larvae often have to face food shortages during their development, and thus the ability to disperse and find new feeding sites is crucial for survival. However, the dispersal capacity of predatory larvae, the host finding cues employed, and their use of alternative food sources are largely unknown. These aspects of the foraging behaviour of the aphidophagous hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus De Geer) larvae were investigated in the present study.2. It was shown that these hoverfly larvae do not leave a plant as long as there are aphids available, but that dispersing larvae are able to find other aphid colonies in the field. Dispersing hoverfly larvae accumulated on large aphid colonies, but did not distinguish between different pea aphid race-plant species combinations. Large aphid colonies might be easier to detect because of intensified searching by hoverfly larvae following the encounter of aphid cues like honeydew that accumulate around large colonies.3. It was further shown that non-prey food, such as diluted honey or pollen, was insufficient for hoverfly larvae to gain weight, but prolonged the survival of the larvae compared with unfed individuals. As soon as larvae were switched back to an aphid diet, they rapidly gained weight and some pupated after a few days. Although pupation and adult hatching rates were strongly reduced compared with hoverflies continuously fed with aphids, the consumption of non-prey food most probably increases the probability that hoverfly larvae find an aphid colony and complete their development.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dealing with food shortage: larval dispersal behaviour and survival on non‐prey food of the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

Vosteen

Gershenzon

Kunert

2018

Ecological Entomology

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“…In some cases, honeydew can be a poor source for natural enemies . In addition, honeydew may indirectly release herbivores from top‐down control by benefiting hyperparasitoids or intraguild predators, substituting for prey in natural enemy diets, and reducing foraging efficiency by dirtying predators' mouthparts . While the value of honeydew for parasitoids is relatively well‐explored, relatively little is known about honeydew's nutritional benefits to predators other than ants .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Regardless of the feeding site, though, pear psyllids are covered with considerable quantities of honeydew (https://www7.inra.fr/hyppz/RAVAGEUR/6cacpir.htm). Previous studies have shown that the liquid honeydew might entrap small parasitoids or clot the mouthparts and sense organs of natural enemies …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, we consider the benefits of honeydew excreted by the pear psylla, C. chinensis , for one of the pest's predators, the bug O. sauteri . We also examined the possibility that honeydew might have negative effects on this predator, if it is in fact a poor‐quality food or inhibits predator movement . Cacopsylla chinensis is the most important pest of pear ( Pyrus bretschneideri [Rehd]) in our study region in China and also throughout much of Asia, as described above, and biological control has the potential to play an important role in managing this pest.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A sticky situation: honeydew of the pear psylla disrupts feeding by its predator Orius sauteri

Zhang

et al. 2019

Pest Management Science

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Background Honeydew is valuable food source for predators that can build predator numbers and strengthen biological control. Honeydew excreted by hemipterans often supplements the diets of their predators and parasitoids. However, dense sticky honeydew also creates a difficult foraging environment, potentially limiting predator efficiency. Results We examined the benefits and costs of honeydew excreted by the pear psylla (Cacopsylla chinensis [Yang and Li]) for its key predator in much of Asia, the anthocorid bug Orius sauteri (Poppius). We found these predators spent more time foraging and laid more eggs in the presence of psyllid honeydew compared to the control. However, predators more often foraged among psylla without honeydew than those coated in honeydew. This suggests that while O. sauteri recognized honeydew as a useful cue to prey presence, the predators were more likely to attack pear psylla lacking the sugary excretion. In foraging trials, honeydew consistently reduced the number of psyllids killed by the predator, suggesting it limited O. sauteri mobility or reduced the nutritional value of psyllids as prey. We also found slowed development, reduced longevity, and reduced fecundity of O. sauteri reared on moth eggs (Sitotroga cerealella [Olivier]) coated in honeydew compared to those reared on moth eggs alone. Conclusion Altogether, our results suggest that psyllid honeydew could serve as a prey‐location and oviposition cue for O. sauteri. However, honeydew also limited predator foraging with the potential to limit biological control. More generally, honeydew might form an important type of defense for stationary feeders like psyllids. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

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“…In this guild of aphidophagous insects, the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus De Geer (Diptera: Syrphidae) is frequently encountered at aphid-infested sites in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere (Schneider, 1969;Gilbert, 236 Claire Detrain, Melanie Fichaux andFrançois Verheggen 1986, 2005;Tenhumberg, 1995). Just like aphid-tending ants, hoverfly females use semiochemicals to locate aphid colonies and to oviposit eggs from which aphidophagous larvae hatch (Harmel et al, 2001;Almohamad et al, 2007;Verheggen et al, 2008;Leroy et al, 2014). Therefore, both actors are likely to encounter each other.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tuned protection of aphids by ants against a predatory hoverfly

Detrain¹,

Fichaux²,

Verheggen

2017

Ecological Entomology

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Abstract. 1. Aphid-tending ants that feed on honeydew have evolved strategies against aphidophagous insects and tune their aggressive behaviour according to the level of danger for their trophobionts. Here we investigate how Lasius niger Linnaeus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) ants react to different instars of Episyrphus balteatus De Geer (Diptera: Syrphidae) hoverflies which vary in their voracity and defensive abilities.2. During pairwise encounters, early syrphid instars (eggs, L1, and L2 larvae) elicited lower aggression scores compared to third larval instars (L3), which was intensively bitten by ants. L3 tried to escape from ants by releasing a sticky and toxic secretion over biting ants that died or underwent severe morbidity.3. In a standardised system including the host plant, aphid, tending ant, and hoverfly, the ability of ants to protect an Aphis fabae Scopoli (Hemiptera: Aphididae) colony was evaluated. Early E. balteatus instars placed onto the plant elicited no mobilisation of ants, which often removed the hoverfly successfully. Eggs and early instars appeared as the weak links for integrated pest management by hoverfly auxiliaries.4. In contrast, L3 induced the number of ant patrollers to increase at a local scale without any further recruitment from inside the ant nest. L3 syrphids were quite efficient at gluing ants with defensive secretions and at resisting to removal attempts by ants.5. While supporting the assumption that ants tune their defensive response to the aphidophagous predator, the present results also showed a lack of efficient protection of their trophobionts from the most voracious late syrphid instar.

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Aphid honeydew: An arrestant and a contact kairomone for Episyrphus balteatus (Diptera: Syrphidae) larvae and adults

Cited by 22 publications

References 50 publications

Dealing with food shortage: larval dispersal behaviour and survival on non‐prey food of the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

Dealing with food shortage: larval dispersal behaviour and survival on non‐prey food of the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus

A sticky situation: honeydew of the pear psylla disrupts feeding by its predator Orius sauteri

Tuned protection of aphids by ants against a predatory hoverfly

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