Colonization and establishment of Peristenus relictus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) for control of Lygus spp. (Hemiptera: Miridae) in strawberries on the California Central Coast

Peristenus spretus Chen & van Achterberg (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a solitary endoparasitoid, which is considered for augmentative biological control of Apolygus lucorum Meyer-Dür (Heteroptera: Miridae) in Chinese cotton fields. Since the association of P. spretus with A. lucorum was only recently discovered, the biology of the parasitoid remains unknown. In order to understand its reproductive biology, the mutual interference and functional response of P. spretus were investigated by altering either the parasitoid or the host density while keeping the other constant. In both experiments, the effects of parasitoid and host densities on parasitism, superparasitism, progeny production and sex ratio were assessed. P. spretus exhibited a Holling type II functional response to changing host densities, indicating that parasitism increases with increasing host density until the parasitoid reaches its maximum reproductive capacity. The model suggested that a single P. spretus female could parasitise a maximum of 88 nymphs per day or four nymphs per hour. Increasing the wasp-nymph ratio from 1:10 to 1:80 significantly increased the offspring production more than fivefold from ±5.8 to ±35.6; further increasing the host densities (above 80 nymphs) did not significantly increase offspring production. Strong mutual interference of foraging P. spretus females occurred only at high parasitoid densities. Parasitoids foraging alone produced an average progeny of 33.4, whereas parasitoids foraging in groups of 16 produced only 2.6. The optimal wasp-nymph ratio for mass-rearing P. spretus is 4:100, given that resources of parasitoids and nymphs are unlimited.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional response and mutual interference ofPeristenus spretus(Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid ofApolygus lucorum(Heteroptera: Miridae)

Luo

et al. 2013

“…These results are not as favourable as have been reported in apples in New Hampshire (reduction in fruit injury to 1%), perhaps because TPB damaged a much lower percentage of apples (average 3.2%) before P. digoneutis became common (Day et al 2003) and because many orchards were treated with insecticides. In contrast, mirid biocontrol results in California strawberries have been more encouraging with a different parasitoid [Peristenus relictus (Ruthe)] and two different mirid species (Pickett et al 2009). In the latter case, active management of alfalfa as a trap crop and natural enemy reservoir may have been a critical factor.…”

mentioning

confidence: 93%

“…As a perennial crop, it is likely that alfalfa serves as an important reservoir for parasitoids that can move into strawberries with TPB (Pickett et al 2009). P. digoneutis was the dominant species in both alfalfa (79Á98%) and strawberries (83Á100%) in all years.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the introduced parasitoidPeristenus digoneutis(Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on tarnished plant bug (Hemiptera: Miridae) infesting strawberries in northwestern New Jersey, USA

Day

Hoelmer

2012

“…are regarded as promising biological control agents to control species of Lygus in Europe, Canada, and the USA (Day et al, 2003;Haye et al, 2006;Pickett et al, 2009;White, 2002). Previous studies have focused on the reproductive biology of P. digoneutis and P. relictus (Haye et al, 2005) and developmental biology of P. digoneutis (Carignan, Boivin, & Stewart, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of temperature on the reproductive biology ofPeristenus spretus(Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a biological control agent of the plant bugApolygus lucorum(Hemiptera: Miridae)

Luo

Zhang

2015

Effect of temperature on the reproductive biology of Peristenus spretus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a biological control agent of the plant bug Apolygus lucorum (Hemiptera: Miridae) Running title: Effect of temperature on the reproductive biology of Peristenus spretus Peristenus spretus Chen et van Achterberg (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid of the plant bug Apolygus lucorum (Hemiptera: Miridae), has been studied for use in augmentative biological control in China. Under laboratory conditions, we explored the development, survival, age-specific and potential lifetime fecundity, oviposition period, and progeny sex ratio of P. spretus reared at six constant temperatures (15, 19,A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t Downloaded by [UQ Library] at 00:35 14 June 2015 23, 27, 31, 35 °C) on the second instar nymphs of A. lucorum. At 15°C, male and female P. spretus took 48.7 ± 0.3 and 52.5 ± 0.3 days to complete their immature development, while developmental time was reduced by more than half at 23 and 27 °C. The parasitoid can only develop to the larval stage at 31 °C and neither larva or pupa survived at 35 °C. The estimated lower developmental threshold of the immature stage was 7.3 °C. When parasitoid adults were exposed at 15 °C, females laid 90% of their eggs at first 19 days of oviposition and had an extended reproductive life. In contrast, females held at 27 °C laid most of their eggs (90%) in their first of 10 days of oviposition and had shorter longevity. The highest potential lifetime fecundity of P. spretus was 671.2 ± 34.7 SE eggs produced over 23.4 ± 1.4 SE days at 23 °C. At 15, 19 and 23 °C, sex-ratios of reared parasitoids were male biased, but at 27 °C there was no male bias.