Hymenoptera Complex Associated with Myzus persicae and Hyalopterus spp. in Peach Orchards in Northeastern Spain and Prospects for Biological Control of Aphids

Abstract

Aphids are a serious pest for peach crops. They have traditionally been managed with insecticides, but there is increasing concern about the risk that insecticides pose to both humans and the environment. As a first step to use biological control in aphid management, we conducted a 3-year field survey in northeastern Spain to determine which parasitoids and hyperparasitoids were most prevalent on two aphids, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Hyalopterus spp. Koch, the most harmful to peach trees. We collected 11 parasitoid species from M. persicae, with Aphidius matricariae (Haliday) being the most abundant. Two parasitoid species were also collected from Hyalopterus spp., Aphidius transcaspicus Telenga and Praon volucre (Haliday). Hyperparasitoid species overlapped between these aphids but their relative abundances differed. We also discuss the possible impacts of hyperparasitoids on parasitoid populations. Our results suggest that it would be feasible to implement biocontrol methods for aphids in integrated pest management programmes in peach orchards. There are a number of primary parasitoid species associated with these aphids, and the nearby crops and wild vegetation in the vicinity and within the orchards may provide a suitable habitat for them. Additionally, some of them are commercially available and might be usable in augmentative releases.

Selection of insectary plants for the conservation of biological control agents of aphids and thrips in fruit orchards

“…(2019) and Aparicio et al . (2019) reported on several species of Braconidae and one of Aphelinidae that parasitized several aphid pests in fruit orchards in the same area as the current study, and on hyperparasitoids from the Pteromalidae, Encyrtidae and Figitidae families. By contrast, only one species, Ceranisus menes (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), parasitizes F. occidentalis in Mediterranean agroecosystems, although this species only plays a minor role in thrips control (Loomans, 2006).…”

“…Regarding parasitoids, Braconidae was the earliest in the season and the most widely distributed (found on more plant species and more samples), with A. matricariae being the most abundant. This is a positive result since this species is by far the main parasitoid species attacking M. persicae and D. plantaginea in the surveyed area (Aparicio et al ., 2019; Rodríguez-Gasol et al ., 2019). Other aphid parasitoids mentioned in these two studies ( A. colemani and A. ervi ) were also found during the present samplings visiting flowers at the border of orchards.…”

Disentangling arthropod and plant resources consumed by Orius spp. in peach and alfalfa crops by metagenomic analysis

“…S2). In peach, we detected consumption of Aphididae, a family that includes important pests of peach orchards and important vectors of the disease plum pox virus or Sharka (Aparicio et al 2019). These trophic interactions were previously described in peach by Barbagallo et al (2017), particularly by O. laevigatus.…”

Disentangling arthropod and plant resources consumed by Orius spp. in peach and alfalfa crops by metagenomic analysis

“…S2). In peach, we detected consumption of Aphididae, a family that includes important pests of peach orchards and important vectors of the plum pox virus or Sharka disease (Aparicio et al 2019). These trophic interactions were previously described in peach by Barbagallo et al (2017), particularly by O. laevigatus.…”