Earwig Releases Provide Accumulative Biological Control of the Woolly Apple Aphid over the Years.

Nature-based solutions, such as biological control, can strongly contribute to reducing the use of plant protection products. In our study, we assessed the effect of augmentative releases of the European earwig () to control the woolly apple aphid (), a worldwide pest that causes serious damage to apple trees. The trials were carried out in two organic apple orchards located in Catalonia (NE Spain) from 2017 to 2020.

Honeydew Is a Food Source and a Contact Kairomone for .

Many parasitoids need to feed on sugar sources at the adult stage. Although nectar has been proven to be a source of higher nutritional quality compared to honeydew excreted by phloem feeders, the latter can provide the necessary carbohydrates for parasitoids and increase their longevity, fecundity and host searching time. Honeydew is not only a trophic resource for parasitoids, but it can also constitute an olfactory stimulus involved in host searching.

Interactions between Rice Resistance to Planthoppers and Honeydew-Related Egg Parasitism under Varying Levels of Nitrogenous Fertilizer.

Host plant resistance is the most researched method for the management of planthoppers and leafhoppers in tropical rice. For optimal effects, resistance should be resilient to fertilizer inputs and work in synergy with natural enemies. In field plot experiments, we examined how rice resistance and fertilizer inputs affect mortality of planthopper and leafhopper eggs by hymenopteran parasitoids.

Compatibility of Insecticides with Rice Resistance to Planthoppers as Influenced by the Timing and Frequency of Applications.

The brown planthopper, (Stål)(BPH) is a pest of rice in Asia. We examined the effects of seven insecticides combined with host resistance against BPH. In a screenhouse environment, we treated BPH-infested and non-infested resistant (IR62) and susceptible (IR64) rice with buprofezin, carbofuran, cartap hydrochloride, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, fipronil, or thiamethoxam + chlorantraniliprole.

Adaptation by the Brown Planthopper to Resistant Rice: A Test of Female-Derived Virulence and the Role of Yeast-like Symbionts.

The adaptation by planthoppers to feed and develop on resistant rice is a challenge for pest management in Asia. We conducted a series of manipulative experiments with the brown planthopper ( (Stål)) on the resistant rice variety IR62 (/ genes) to assess behavioral and bionomic changes in planthoppers exhibiting virulence adaptation. We also examined the potential role of yeast-like symbionts (YLS) in virulence adaptation by assessing progeny fitness (survival × reproduction) following controlled matings between virulent males or females and avirulent males or females, and by manipulating YLS densities in progeny through heat treatment.

Changes in reflectance of rice seedlings during planthopper feeding as detected by digital camera: Potential applications for high-throughput phenotyping.

Damage to grasses and cereals by phloem-feeding herbivores is manifest as nutrient and chlorophyll loss, desiccation, and a gradual decline in host vigour. Chlorophyll loss in particular leads to a succession of colour changes before eventual host death. Depending on the attacking herbivore species, colour changes can be difficult to detect with the human eye.

Resistance and tolerance to the brown planthopper, (Stål), in rice infested at different growth stages across a gradient of nitrogen applications.

High resource availability can reduce anti-herbivore resistance (a plant's ability to defend against herbivores and reduce damage) in rice, L, but may also increase tolerance (a plant's ability to withstand damage by, for example, compensatory growth). Through a series of greenhouse, screenhouse and field experiments, this study examines fitness (survival and development × reproduction) of the brown planthopper, (Stål), on resistant (IR62) and susceptible (IR22) rice varieties and age-related rice tolerance to planthopper damage under varying resource (nitrogenous fertilizer) availability. Planthoppers reared on IR62 in the greenhouse had lower fitness than planthoppers on IR22.

Morphological variation of Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) associated with different aphid hosts.

Background: Parasitoids are frequently used in biological control due to the fact that they are considered host specific and highly efficient at attacking their hosts. As they spend a significant part of their life cycle within their hosts, feeding habits and life history of their host can promote specialization via host-race formation (sequential radiation). The specialized host races from different hosts can vary morphologically, behaviorally and genetically.