Neglected Microbes in Floral Nectar: Influence of Filamentous Fungi on Nectar Scent and Parasitoid Olfactory Responses.

Floral nectar is a sugar-rich resource which is ubiquitously inhabited by a wide array of microorganisms. Fermentation by nectar-inhabiting microbes can alter several nectar traits, including nectar scent, via changes in the blend of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Although there is growing evidence on how yeasts and bacteria influence the foraging behavior of flower-visiting insects, the potential role of other microbial taxa that can colonize nectar has been largely neglected.

The ectoparasitoid wasp (Marshall, 1888) (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Doryctinae) as a natural enemy of Fairmaire, 1875 (Coleoptera, Ptinidae) in Italy.

(Marshall, 1888) is redescribed and illustrated based on the holotype of Marshall, 1888 and on recently collected material from its type locality (Sicily, Italy). Previous host records for this species are unreliable. Here, the host of , the rare ptinid beetle Fairmaire, 1875, is recorded for the first time, having been reared in a historic library in Palermo, Italy.

Competitive interactions in insect parasitoids: effects of microbial symbionts across tritrophic levels.

Competition for hosts is a common ecological interaction in insect parasitoids. In the recent years, it has become increasingly evident that microorganisms can act as 'hidden players' in parasitoid ecology. In this review, we propose that parasitoid competition should take into consideration the microbial influence.

Chemical Composition and Evaluation of Insecticidal Activity of Essential Oils against Stored Products Pests.

In this study, the chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) obtained from different aerial parts (flowers, leaves, and stems) of Guss., a wild species endemic of Sicily, was investigated. Furthermore, the EOs' biocidal effects towards two pests of stored products, and , were evaluated.

Chemical Ecology of Floral Resources in Conservation Biological Control.

Conservation biological control aims to enhance populations of natural enemies of insect pests in crop habitats, typically by intentional provision of flowering plants as food resources. Ideally, these flowering plants should be inherently attractive to natural enemies to ensure that they are frequently visited. We review the chemical ecology of floral resources in a conservation biological control context, with a focus on insect parasitoids.

Nectar-Inhabiting Bacteria Affect Olfactory Responses of an Insect Parasitoid by Altering Nectar Odors.

Floral nectar is ubiquitously colonized by a variety of microorganisms among which yeasts and bacteria are the most common. Microorganisms inhabiting floral nectar can alter several nectar traits, including nectar odor by producing microbial volatile organic compounds (mVOCs). Evidence showing that mVOCs can affect the foraging behavior of insect pollinators is increasing in the literature, whereas the role of mVOCs in altering the foraging behavior of third-trophic level organisms such as insect parasitoids is largely overlooked.

Contrasting reproductive traits of competing parasitoids facilitate coexistence on a shared host pest in a biological control perspective.

Background: Interspecific competition in insect parasitoids is an important ecological phenomenon that has relevant implications for biological pest control. To date, interspecific intrinsic (=larval) competition has been intensively studied, while investigations on extrinsic (=adult) competition have often lagged behind. In this study we examined the role played by parasitoid reproductive traits and host clutch size on the outcome of extrinsic competition between Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) and Ooencyrtus telenomicida (Vassiliev), two egg parasitoids of the pest Nezara viridula (L).

Chemical Composition and Evaluation of Insecticidal Activity of subsp. and subsp. Essential Oils against Stored Products Pests.

The problems of the environment and human health related to the use of synthetic and broad-spectrum insecticides have increasingly motivated scientific research on different alternatives and among these, the use of green systems, such as essential oils, have been explored. Several species of the Apiaceae and Asteraceae families, aromatic herbs rich in secondary bioactive metabolites, are used in the industrial field for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food purposes. Different essential oils extracted from some species of these families have shown acute toxicity and attractive and/or repellent effects towards different insects.

Learning can be detrimental for a parasitic wasp.

Animals have evolved the capacity to learn, and the conventional view is that learning allows individuals to improve foraging decisions. The parasitoid Telenomus podisi has been shown to parasitize eggs of the exotic stink bug Halyomorpha halys at the same rate as eggs of its coevolved host, Podisus maculiventris, but the parasitoid cannot complete its development in the exotic species. We hypothesized that T.

Trichoderma harzianum Strain T22 Modulates Direct Defense of Tomato Plants in Response to Nezara viridula Feeding Activity.

Plant growth-promoting fungi belonging to genus Trichoderma are known to help plants when dealing with biotic stressors by enhancing plant defenses. While beneficial effects of Trichoderma spp. against plant pathogens have long been documented, fewer studies have investigated their effect on insect pests.

Odorants of spp. Dried Fruits as Candidate Attractants for F. (Coleoptera: Anobiidae).

The cigarette beetle, F. (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) is an important food storage pest affecting the tobacco industry and is increasingly impacting museums and herbaria. Monitoring methods make use of pheromone traps which can be implemented using chili fruit powder.

(De Geer) Infestation in Pet Food Packaging and Setup of a Monitoring Trap.

(De Geer) (Coleoptera: Cleridae), also known as the red-legged ham beetle, is a newly emerging pest of pet food stores, causing apprehension among producers worldwide. Concerns about this pest are exacerbated by the lack of information about infestation modalities in pet food, while specific monitoring tools are missing. Considering that adequate pet food packaging could limit infestations, information about the penetration modalities in commonly used pet food packaging is needed.

Identification of Brassicadiene, a Diterpene Hydrocarbon Attractive to the Invasive Stink Bug , from Volatiles of Cauliflower Seedlings, var. .

Brassicadiene, a novel tricyclic diterpene hydrocarbon, was identified by a combination of mass spectrometry, microchemical tests, and analysis of NMR spectra. The compound constitutes >90% of the volatile organic compounds produced by cauliflower seedlings, var. .

The Role of ()-2-octenyl Acetate as a Pheromone of (Burmeister): Laboratory and Field Evaluation.

The pentatomid bug is a key pest of brassicaceous crops in several areas of the world. Previous studies suggest that mate location of this species is mediated by volatile chemicals produced by males, among which the main compound is ()-2-octenyl acetate. However, the possible attraction of males, females, and nymphs to this compound has not yet been specifically tested.

Mating Status of an Herbivorous Stink Bug Female Affects the Emission of Oviposition-Induced Plant Volatiles Exploited by an Egg Parasitoid.

Insect parasitoids are under selection pressure to optimize their host location strategy in order to maximize fitness. In parasitoid species that develop on host eggs, one of these strategies consists in the exploitation of oviposition-induced plant volatiles (OIPVs), specific blends of volatile organic compounds released by plants in response to egg deposition by herbivorous insects. Plants can recognize insect oviposition via elicitors that trigger OIPVs, but very few elicitors have been characterized so far.

An invasive insect herbivore disrupts plant volatile-mediated tritrophic signalling.

Plants respond to insect attack by emission of volatile organic compounds, which recruit natural enemies of the attacking herbivore, constituting an indirect plant defence strategy. In this context, the egg parasitoid is attracted by oviposition-induced plant volatiles emitted by plants as a consequence of feeding and oviposition by the pentatomid host However, this local tritrophic web could be affected by the recent invasion by the alien pentatomid bug , an herbivore that shares the same environments as native pentatomid pests. Therefore, we investigated in laboratory conditions the possible impact of on the plant volatile-mediated signalling in the local tritrophic web --.

Foraging behaviour of an egg parasitoid exploiting plant volatiles induced by pentatomids: the role of adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces.

Several phases of herbivorous insect attack including feeding and oviposition are known to induce plant defenses. Plants emit volatiles induced by herbivores to recruit insect parasitoids as an indirect defense strategy. So far, volatiles induced by herbivore walking and their putative role in the foraging behavior of egg parasitoids have not been investigated.

Testing the habituation assumption underlying models of parasitoid foraging behavior.

Background: Habituation, a form of non-associative learning, has several well-defined characteristics that apply to a wide range of physiological and behavioral responses in many organisms. In classic patch time allocation models, habituation is considered to be a major mechanistic component of parasitoid behavioral strategies. However, parasitoid behavioral responses to host cues have not previously been tested for the known, specific characteristics of habituation.

Interspecific competition/facilitation among insect parasitoids.

Competition for limited resources is a widespread ecological interaction in animals. In the case of insect parasitoids, species can compete for host resources both at the adult stage as well as at the larval stage. Interspecific competition can play a role in sizing and shaping community structures.

The response of an egg parasitoid to substrate-borne semiochemicals is affected by previous experience.

Animals can adjust their behaviour according to previous experience gained during foraging. In parasitoids, experience plays a key role in host location, a hierarchical process in which air-borne and substrate-borne semiochemicals are used to find hosts. In nature, chemical traces deposited by herbivore hosts when walking on the plant are adsorbed by leaf surfaces and perceived as substrate-borne semiochemicals by parasitoids.