Population structure of a global agricultural invasive pest, (Diptera: Tephritidae).

the Oriental fruit fly, is one of the world's most destructive agricultural insect pests and a major impediment to international fresh commodity trade. The genetic structuring of the species across its entire geographic range has never been undertaken, because under a former taxonomy was divided into four distinct taxonomic entities, each with their own, largely non-overlapping, distributions. Based on the extensive sampling of six a priori groups from 63 locations, genetic and geometric morphometric datasets were generated to detect macrogeographic population structure, and to determine prior and current invasion pathways of this species.

Molecular Identification of ten species of stored-product psocids through microarray method based on ITS2 rDNA.

Stored-product psocids (Psocoptera: Liposcelididae) are cosmopolitan storage pests that can damage stored products and cause serious economic loss. However, because of the body size (~1 mm) of eggs, nymphs, and adults, morphological identification of most stored-product psocids is difficult and hampers effective identification. In this study, 10 economically important stored-product Liposcelis spp.

The establishment of species-specific primers for the molecular identification of ten stored-product psocids based on ITS2 rDNA.

Psocids are important stored product pests found worldwide that can be spread through grain trade. Most stored-product psocids, including eggs, nymphs, and adults, are very small (~1 mm) and difficult to identify morphologically. Here, we collected 10 economically important stored-product Liposcelis spp.

Effects of agricultural intensification on ability of natural enemies to control aphids.

Agricultural intensification through increasing fertilization input and cropland expansion has caused rapid loss of semi-natural habitats and the subsequent loss of natural enemies of agricultural pests. It is however extremely difficult to disentangle the effects of agricultural intensification on arthropod communities at multiple spatial scales. Based on a two-year study of seventeen 1500 m-radius sites, we analyzed the relative importance of nitrogen input and cropland expansion on cereal aphids and their natural enemies.

Weakening density dependence from climate change and agricultural intensification triggers pest outbreaks: a 37-year observation of cotton bollworms.

Understanding drivers of population fluctuation, especially for agricultural pests, is central to the provision of agro-ecosystem services. Here, we examine the role of endogenous density dependence and exogenous factors of climate and human activity in regulating the 37-year population dynamics of an important agricultural insect pest, the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera), in North China from 1975 to 2011. Quantitative time-series analysis provided strong evidence explaining long-term population dynamics of the cotton bollworm and its driving factors.

Species composition and diversity of parasitoids and hyper-parasitoids in different wheat agro-farming systems.

Insect communities depend on both their local environment and features of the surrounding habitats. Diverse plant communities may enhance the abundance and species diversity of local natural enemies, which is possible due to a higher abundance and species diversity in complex landscapes. This hypothesis was tested using cereal aphid parasitoids and hyper-parasitoids by comparing 18 spring wheat fields, Triticum aestivum L.

Responses of cereal aphids and their parasitic wasps to landscape complexity.

The intensification of agriculture has caused a decline in the complexity of agricultural landscapes because of the expansion of arable lands and the removal of natural habitats. These landscape changes, which have substantial effects on natural enemies (e.g.

Effects of crop species richness on pest-natural enemy systems based on an experimental model system using a microlandscape.

The relationship between crop richness and predator-prey interactions as they relate to pest-natural enemy systems is a very important topic in ecology and greatly affects biological control services. The effects of crop arrangement on predator-prey interactions have received much attention as the basis for pest population management. To explore the internal mechanisms and factors driving the relationship between crop richness and pest population management, we designed an experimental model system of a microlandscape that included 50 plots and five treatments.

[Minimum amounts of suitable habitat for wheat aphid, parasitoid, and hyperparasitoid in facility-based agricultural landscapes].

Minimum amount of suitable habitat (MASH) is the minimum habitat area that a population requires to persist in a given environmental setting for a long time, being an important aspect of population viability analysis (PVA). In this paper, we estimated the MASH for wheat aphids, parasitoids, and hyperparasitoids in facility-based agricultural landscapes in Yinchuan Plain of Northwest China, based on the relationships between population density and habitat area, and by using regression analysis. It was found that the population density and growth rate were consistently inversely related to area, but the exact mathematical functions varied with different species, especially those at different trophic levels.

[Risk assessment and control strategies of pests in Lycium barbarum fields under different managements].

In the risk assessment of pests, both the community structure and the environmental factors should be considered at the same time, because of their mutual effects on the outbreak of disaster pests. This paper established a comprehensive assessment system, including 2 sub-systems, 5 respects, and 14 indices. In the meanwhile, risk assessment indices and experience formula were used to analyze the risk degree of pests in Lycium barbarum fields under different managements.