A Minor Role of Host Fruit on the Parasitic Performance of (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) on Medfly Larvae.

Host fruit is known to strongly affect the performance of both fruit pests and their potential natural enemies. This is particularly important in the control of tephritid fruit flies, whose larvae develop inside the fruit and thus create a set of foraging problems for parasitoids. In the present study, we assessed the response of female (Weld) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) one of the most promising parasitoids for tephritid biocontrol in the Mediterranean Basin, to different potential host fruit species.

Structure of the Assemblages of Spiders in Mediterranean Pear Orchards and the Effect of Intensity of Spraying.

Spiders are key predatory arthropods that are negatively affected by spraying pesticides in orchards. The aim of this research was to determine the structure of the community of spiders in pear orchards and the impact of the intensity of spraying. The study was carried out over three years in four pear orchards in southern Spain; two of them were conducted by ourselves with no or low-intensity spraying of insecticides, and two under the criteria of technicians (conventional).

Parasitism Response to Medfly Host Fruit and Fruit Infestation Age.

The parasitoid (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is increasingly being used in integrated pest management (IPM) programs as a biological control agent in order to suppress tephritid fruit flies of economic importance. Innate and acquired behavioral responses-such as pest host fruit preference-of parasitoids can modulate their efficiency in the field and should be taken into consideration prior to parasitoid species' selection for mass-rearing. We have assessed the influence of medfly-infested (two infestation ages, 1 and 4-d-old) and uninfested fruit species on host preference and efficiency of by using a multistep assay including olfactory, laboratory and semi-field trials.

Prefiltering Model for Homology Detection Algorithms on GPU.

Homology detection has evolved over the time from heavy algorithms based on dynamic programming approaches to lightweight alternatives based on different heuristic models. However, the main problem with these algorithms is that they use complex statistical models, which makes it difficult to achieve a relevant speedup and find exact matches with the original results. Thus, their acceleration is essential.

Development, preimaginal phases and adult sensillar equipment in Aganaspis parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) of fruit flies.

Aganaspis daci and Aganaspis pelleranoi (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) are important parasitoids of fruit flies. Here we studied, with light and scanning electron microscopy, aspects of their morphology that could help with plans to mass rear and thus contribute to improved pest control (preimaginal phases) and to shed light on parasitoid-pest relationships (sensillar equipment). The two species present a stalked egg, eucoiliform first and second-instar larvae and hymenopteriform third instar and mature larvae.