Host Plant-Related Parasitism and Host Feeding Activities of Diglyphus isaea (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on Liriomyza huidobrensis, Liriomyza sativae, and Liriomyza trifolii (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

Abstract

Host plant species can affect the behavior and attributes of parasitoids, such as host searching, oviposition, and offspring fitness. In this study, parasitism, host feeding, and sex ratios of Diglyphus isaea (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard), Liriomyza sativae Blanchard, and Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) larvae reared on Phaseolus vulgaris L., Pisum sativum L., Solanum lycopersicum L., and Vicia faba L. were determined. In no-choice tests, L. huidobrensis had the highest rate of parasitism when reared on P. vulgaris (46%), L. sativae when reared on V. faba (59%) and P. vulgaris (59%), and L. trifolii when reared on S. lycopersicum (68%). Host feeding in no-choice tests ranged between 2% and 36% and was highest on L. trifolii reared on V. faba. Results of choice tests showed a significant interaction effect for host plant and Liriomyza species on parasitism and host feeding. Within plant mixtures, L. sativae reared on P. vulgaris had the highest rate of parasitism (31%), followed by L. trifolii on S. lycopersicum (29%) and L. huidobrensis on V. faba (28%). Host feeding was highest on L. trifolii reared on S. lycopersicum (14%) and lowest on L. huidobrensis reared on P. sativum and S. lycopersicum (1%). In some instances, plant mixtures resulted in a higher proportion of females of D. isaea than single plant species. The highest proportion of females was obtained in plant mixtures on L. huidobrensis and L. trifolii on V. faba (71 and 72%, respectively). This study suggests that planting crop mixtures can potentially lead to higher proportions of females, thus improving parasitism and host feeding, depending on Liriomyza and host plant species. Keywords: biological control, leafminer, ectoparasitoid, sex ratio, tritrophic interactionsThe leafmining flies Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard), Liriomyza sativae Blanchard, and Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) (Diptera: Agromyzidae) are economically important pests of a wide range of greenhouse and field-grown plants (Murphy and LaSalle 1999, Liu et al. 2009). These three pests are considered alien invasive species in the Afrotropical region, and L. trifolii was first reported in Kenya in 1976, where 10 yr after its accidental introduction the pest was found to be widespread from the coastal regions to the highlands (Spencer 1985). The three Liriomyza species are highly polyphagous, attacking plants in several families 1 (Murphy and LaSalle 1999). Globally, they are important pests of high value horticultural crops such as snow pea (Pisum sativum L.; Fabaceae), French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.; Fabaceae), runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.; Fabaceae), okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench; Malvaceae], aubergine (Solanum melongena L.; Solanaceae), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.; Solanaceae), and passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims; Passifloraceae), and they can cause yield losses of up to 100% (Spencer 1973(Spencer , 1990Kotze and Dennill 1996;Chabi-Olaye et al. 2008;Gitonga et al. 2010).Previous ...

Mass production of Diglyphus isaea (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a biological control agent of a Korean population of potato leaf miner Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard) (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

“…In this rearing procedure, the female proportion was 41%, which was significantly lower than the maximum values of 70–75% of Ode and Heinz () and Musundire et al. (). Production of D. isaea as a biological control agent is expensive, with a large and complex production system.…”

“…Charnov et al (1981) showed the solitary parasitoid adult size is closely correlated with host size. Although host sizes of L. huidobrensis larvae were not measured in this study, studies by Spencer (1973) and Musundire et al (2012) showed that under uniform conditions, L. huidobrensis larvae are larger than those of L. sativae and L. trifolii, suggesting that this species should receive a higher allocation of female progeny compared with larvae of L. sativae and L. trifolii. Thus the female proportion of the parasitoid D. isaea population would be higher when produced from larger host insect species.…”

“…Further, Musundire et al. () described that Liriomyza species and D. isaea can be used for further larger scale field studies aimed at optimizing field releases and adapting mass rearing of D. isaea on different plant species. Field‐collected populations are being added regularly for colony vigor.…”

Local Crop Planting Systems Enhance Insecticide-Mediated Displacement of Two Invasive Leafminer Fly

“…However, differential parasitism would explain the increased predominance only if L. trifolii were more susceptible to parasitization than L. sativae . Surveys show that L. sativae has a rich and diverse parasitoid community in China [24] and other studies have shown that L. sativae may be less susceptible to some common parasitoids than is L. trifolii [18], [25].…”

Potential for biological control of the vegetable leafminer, Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae), in Australia with parasitoid wasps

“…Parasitoid species attacking Liriomyza spp. vary in their host plant preference (Musundire et al 2012), so dominant parasitoid species vary between crops (Johnson & Hara 1987). Inevitably, with a polyphagous pest such as Liriomyza sativae, which has a vast host range primarily in the Fabaceae, Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae, the composition of the parasitoid assemblage varies with the host.…”