Aphid parasitoids in biological control

Abstract

Boivin, G., Hance, T. and Brodeur, J. 2012. Aphid parasitoids in biological control. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 1–12. Aphids are important pests of most cultivated crops worldwide. Among the natural enemies that regulate their populations, aphid parasitoids are commonly used in biological control programs in greenhouses and field situations. They belong to the Hymenoptera (Braconidae and Aphelinidae), and a few species are Diptera (Cecidomyiidae). Aphid parasitoids are themselves exposed to a variety of natural enemies including predators, fungi and hyperparasitoids. The most important impediment to the use of aphid parasitoids as biological control agents remains the production cost to mass-rear parasitoids. Rearing either aphids or directly aphid parasitoids in artificial media could be a solution to produce large quantities of aphid parasitoids at low cost, but such an approach still faces numerous challenges related to the nutritional and physiological requirements of developing aphid parasitoids.

Host plants and aphid hosts influence the selection behaviour of three aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae)

“…Currently, control of beet aphids is still largely based on preventive systemic insecticide treatments of seed, but changes in pesticide regulations due to the negative effects of these chemicals necessitate the development of other control strategies. Biological control is considered a good alternative and the use of aphid parasitoids is promising (Boivin et al, 2012). For wheat it has been shown that releasing 20,000 individuals of the parasitoid Aphidius rhopalosiphi (De Stefani-Peres) (Hymenoptera: Aphidiinae) / ha can decrease the population of the grain aphid Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) below the economic threshold (Levie et al, 2005).…”

First Report of the Aphid ParasitoidAphidius ErviHaliday (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) from South Africa

“…Of the aphid species parasitized by A. ervi, at least 15 are known to occur in South Africa according to Millar (1990). These include the Macrosiphini Acyrthosiphon kondoi Shinji, A. pisum, A. malvae (Mosley), Aulacorthum solani (Kaltenbach), Diuraphis noxia (Kurdjumov), M. euphorbiae, M. rosae (L.), Metopolophium dirhodum (Walker), Myzus persicae (Sulzer), Sitobion avenae (F.) and S. fragariae (Walker) (Starv 1976;Marsh 1977;Takada 2002;Tomanovi et al 2003;Lumbierres et al 2007;Starv et al 2007;Boivin et al 2012), and the four Aphidini Aphis gossypii Glover, Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), R. padi (L.), and Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) (Marsh 1977;Tomanovi et al 2003;Lumbierres et al 2007;Starv et al 2007).…”

“…Aphidius ervi is a solitary, koinobiont endoparasitoid (Colinet et al 2005) of several economically important aphid pests (Starv 1976;Boivin et al 2012). The species originates from the Palaearctic Region and has been successfully introduced into North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia (Starv 1974;Marsh 1977;Milne 1986;Cameron & Walker 1989;Takada 2002;Starv et al 2007).…”

“…The species originates from the Palaearctic Region and has been successfully introduced into North and South America, Australia, New Zealand and Asia (Starv 1974;Marsh 1977;Milne 1986;Cameron & Walker 1989;Takada 2002;Starv et al 2007). Aphidius ervi is commercially available and commonly used as a biological control agent for the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), M. euphorbiae, and several other aphid pests (Wei et al 2005;Boivin et al 2012). The parasitoid is used mainly against aphids infesting legumes and, to a lesser extent, against aphids on cereals (Cameron et al 1984), tomato, sweet pepper, eggplant, gerbera, roses, cucumber and beans (Kos et al 2009;Boivin et al 2012).…”

“…Aphidius ervi is commercially available and commonly used as a biological control agent for the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), M. euphorbiae, and several other aphid pests (Wei et al 2005;Boivin et al 2012). The parasitoid is used mainly against aphids infesting legumes and, to a lesser extent, against aphids on cereals (Cameron et al 1984), tomato, sweet pepper, eggplant, gerbera, roses, cucumber and beans (Kos et al 2009;Boivin et al 2012).…”