Note: Tachinid parasitoids of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ancyrosoma leucogrammes</Emphasis> and notes on parasitization rates of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Clytiomya dupuisi</Emphasis>

The study deals with the tachinid parasitoids ofAncyrosoma leucogrammes (Gmelin) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae):Clytiomya dupuisi Kugler,Clytiomya sola (Rondani) andGymnosoma clavatum (Rohdendorf) (Diptera: Tachinidae). All species are recorded for the first time as parasitoids ofA. leucogrammes, andC. dupuisi was reared for the first time from a host. The parasitization rates ofC. dupuisi on adults ofA. leucogrammes varied from 7% to 9% between 1994 and 1999.C. sola andG. clavatum were reared in only small numbers. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting July 10, 2003.     

Investigation of mealybug (hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae) species from Turkey by RAPD

Molecular markers are commonly used for determining the relationship between insect species. In this study, we investigated the relationship of six mealybug species,Planococcus citri (Risso),Planococcus ficus (Signoret),Planococcus vovae (Nasonov),Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti),Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret) andPhenacoccus aceris (Signoret), sampled from Turkey, using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR). Of the 50 RAPD primers tested, 18 identified a total of 256 fragments of which all were polymorphic. Sufficient discrimination betweenP. citri andP. ficus was provided by several RAPD primers. The genetic distance values calculated for each pair-wise comparison ranged from 0.156 to 0.504. Cluster analyses of RAPD data clearly separated the species into two groups. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting May 4, 2007.     

Note: Tachinid parasitoids (Diptera: Tachinidae) of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mythimna (Acantholeucania) loreyi</Emphasis> in the southeast Anatolian region of Turkey

The loreyi leaf worm,Mythimna (Acantholeucania) loreyi (Duponchel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a serious pest of gramineous crops and reduces yields in maize plantations. This study was undertaken to determine the tachinid parasitoid complex ofM. loreyi in the southeast Anatolian region of Turkey. Four tachinid species were found:Pseudogonia rufifrons (Wiedemann),Exorista larvarum (Linnaeus),Drino imberbis (Wiedemann) andLinnaemya neavei Curran were reared from field-collectedM. loreyi larvae. Of the four tachinid speciesM. loreyi is a new host record forE. larvarum andD. imberbis. L. neavei was recorded for the first time in Turkey and was the most frequently encountered parasitoid in this study. Total parasitism level was 7.1% in 2003 and 15.5% in 2004. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Jan. 16, 2007.     

Insecticidal activity of crude seed extracts of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Annona</Emphasis> spp.,<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lansium domesticum</Emphasis> and<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sandoricum koetjape</Emphasis> against lepidopteran larvae

Crude ethanolic seed extracts ofAnnona muricata, A. squamosa (Annonaceae),Lansium domesticum andSandoricum koetjape (Meliaceae) collected from different locations and years in Maluku, Indonesia, were screened for inhibition of larval growth against the polyphagous lepidopteranSpodoptera litura (Noctuidae). Extracts ofA. squamosa were significantly more active (20-fold) than those ofA. muricata. A. squamosa collected from Namlea yielded the extracts with the greatest inhibitory activity. There were significant differences among locations for bothA. squamosa andA. muricata but not forL. domesticum andS. koetjape. Extracts ofA. squamosa, collected from Namlea, inhibited larval growth in a dose-dependent manner, with a dietary EC₅₀ (effective concentration to inhibit growth by 50% relative to controls) of 191.7 ppm fresh weight. Extracts ofA. squamosa collected from individual trees in Namlea also varied in growth inhibitory effect againstS. litura andTrichoplusia ni larvae. This species is a candidate for development of a botanical insecticide for local use in Indonesia. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Dec. 1, 2003.     

Two new species of egg parasitoids (hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) of wood-boring beetle pests from China

Oobius agrili sp.n. andAvetianella xystrocerae sp.n. (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) are described from China. Morphological characters of the new species are illustrated.O. agrili is an egg parasitoid of the emerald ash borerAgrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) andA. xystrocerae is an egg parasitoid of the wood borerXystrocera globosa (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). The two new species are potential biocontrol agents of economically important pest insects. The type specimens are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (IZCAS). http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting May 17, 2005.     

Tachinid parasitoids (Diptera: Tachinidae) of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Spodoptera exigua</Emphasis> in cotton fields in Diyarbakır,Turkey

Tachinid parasitoidsExorista xanthaspis (Wiedemann),Nemorilla maculosa (Meigen),Palesisa maculosa (Villeneuve) andDrino imberbis (Wiedemann) were obtained fromSpodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Noctuidae) larvae collected from cotton fields in Turkey.S. exigua is a new host record forN. maculosa, andP. maculosa is recorded from Turkey for the first time. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting July 14, 2004.     

Three<Emphasis Type="Italic">Orobanche</Emphasis> species newly found on crops in israel

Orobanche amethystea Thuill.,O. loricata Reichenb. andO. pubescens D’Urv. were found to parasitize the roots of cultivated plants in Israel.Orobanche pubescens is known from the local flora, and was now found to cause damage in parsley fields and toTropaeolum majus L. (nasturtium) in ornamental gardens.Orobanche amethystea andO. loricata are known as occasional weeds in Europe and were recently found for the first time in Israel.Orobanche amethystea densely populated vetch fields in Israel, andO. loricata was found in ornamental gardens. A key for the identification ofOrobanche species in cultivated areas in Israel is given, based on morphological features. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Jan. 13, 2002.     

Note:Syringopais temperatella Lederer, 1855 and its parasitoids in wheat and barley fields in the southeast Anatolian region of Turkey

Larvae of the cereal leaf minerSyringopais temperatella Led. (Lep.: Scythridae) collected from wheat and barley fields in the southeast Anatolian region of Turkey during 2005–2006, and their parasitization rates, were determined in the laboratory,Bracon (Habrobracon) stabilis Wesmael andApanteles sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) were identified as its parasitoids for the first time.     

Entomopathogenic nematodes (Nematoda: Steinernematidae, heterorhabditidae) as control agents forParahypopta caestrum, a pest in the culture ofAsparagus officinalis

The entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs)Steinernema feltiae (under the trade name Entonem) andHeterorhabditis bacteriophora (under the trade name Larvanem) were evaluated as potential control agents ofParahypopta caestrum, the major pest of the asparagus crop in Greece. In laboratory experiments the two nematodes provided equal insect suppression, but significant differences were found in the time it took them to kill the larvae.S. feltiae caused high levels of mortality within 24 h and the highest level at 48 h. In contrast,H. bacteriophora required 96 h to achieve the highest level of mortality. In field experiments, the nematodes provided equal insect suppression as compared with the insecticide cadusaphos and the mixture teflubenzuron +Bacillus thuringiensis var.kurstaki. No significant differences were found in the effectiveness of the insecticides used, but there were significant differences between the control and treatments. The findings showed thatS. feltiae andH. bacteriophora could be used to control the insectP. caestrum in asparagus culture. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Jan. 10, 2007.     

Powdery mildew resistance in selections from moroccan barley landraces

Thirty barley landraces collected from Morocco in 1985 and 1989, and held in the Polish Gene Bank, IHAR, Radzików, Poland, were screened for resistance to powdery mildew. Fifteen tested landraces (50%) showed powdery mildew resistance reactions and 24 single plant lines were selected. Eighteen lines originating from 13 landraces were tested with 17 isolates of powdery mildew and another six lines originating from six landraces were tested with 23; the isolates were chosen according to their virulence spectra observed on the ‘Pallas’ isolines differential set. Three lines (E 1090-2-2, E 1110-3-2 and E 1077-1-1) showed resistance to all powdery mildew virulence genes prevalent in Europe. In 21 lines, unknown genes alone or in combination with specific ones were detected. Five different resistance alleles(Mlat, Mlal, Mla3, Mlg andMl(CP)) were postulated to be present in the tested lines, alone or in combination:Mlat was postulated to be present in nine (~38%) lines;Mlg andMl(CP) in two lines, andMla1 andMla3 in one tested line each. The use of newly identified sources of resistance in barley breeding as a means of controlling powdery mildew is discussed.     

Broad bean mottle virus in Morocco; curculionid vectors,and natural occurrence in food legumes other than faba bean (Vicia faba)

Broad bean mottle virus (BBMV) was transmitted from infected to healthy faba-bean plants by the curculionid weevilsApion radiolus Kirby,Hypera variabilis Herbst,Pachytychius strumarius Gyll,Smicronyx cyaneus Gyll, andSitona lineatus L. The latter appeared to be an efficient vector: acquisition and inoculation occurred at the first bite, the rate of transmission was c. 41%, and virus retention lasted for at least seven days.S. lineatus transmitted the virus from faba bean to lentil and pea, but not to the three genotypes of chickpea tested. This is the first report on the generaHypera, Pachytychius, andSmicronyx as virus vectors, and onA. radiolus, H. variabilis, P. strumarius, andS. cyaneus as vectors of BBMV.Out of 351 samples of food legumes with symptoms suggestive of virus infection, 16, 11, 19, and 17% of the samples of chickpea, lentil, pea, and common bean, respectively, were found infected when tested for BBMV in DAS-ELISA. This is the first report on the natural occurrence of BBMV in chickpea, lentil, pea, and common bean. The virus should be regarded as a food-legume virus rather than a faba-bean virus solely, and is considered an actual threat to food legume improvement programmes.     

Effects of agrochemical residues on four spider taxa: Laboratory methods for pesticide tests with web-building spiders

The susceptibility of web-building and hunting spiders from the tropics (Panama), Europe (F.R. of Germany) and the Middle East (Israel) to 30 pesticides (16 insecticides, 4 acaricides, 1 herbicide, 9 fungicides) was determined. Laboratory test methods for juvenile and adult web-building spiders are described.Philodromus sp. (hunting spider), was completely resistant to all substances;Argiope sp. (web-building spider),Linyphia sp. (web-building spider) andChiracanthium sp. (hunting spider) showed medium to high susceptibility. Insecticides affected spiders in a wide range of responses: from no mortality (most compounds of biological origin) and medium mortality (pyrethrin compounds, organophosphorus and carbamate compounds), to high mortality (cyclo compounds). To both groups of spiders (the hunting and web-building), most acaricides were highly toxic, whereas herbicides and fungicides were nontoxic.     

Weed hosts ofVerticillium dahliae in crete: Susceptibility, symptomatology and significance

A survey of common and uncommon weed species usually showing Verticillium wilt symptoms was carried out during 1992–2000 in Crete, Greece.Verticillium dahliae was isolated in 48 out of 182 sampled fields, in which several weed species were grown, from several locations in Oropedio, Lasithi. Altogether, 124 isolates ofV. dahliae were recovered from the vascular stem-tissue of 19 weed species, belonging to ten botanical families. Pathogenicity trials with 13 out of 19 weed species that have never been reported as hosts of the fungus, using for inoculation isolates which originated from the same weed species, resulted in infection of all of them, showing various disease symptoms. Seven weed species (Anthemis melanolepis, Cardaria draba, Convolvulus arvensis, Erodium sp.,Euphorbia helioscopia, Helminthotheca echioides andSinapis alba) are new hosts worldwide, and six additional species (Euphorbia sp.,Lactuca serriola, Raphanus raphanistrum, Sinapis arvensis, Sonchus oleraceus andTrifolium sp.) are new hosts for Greece. The most susceptible (isolation frequency: 27.9–52.8%, moderate disease severity) species were:Capsella bursa-pastoris, C. draba, Chenopodium album, Senecio vulgaris andSolanum nigrum. Less susceptible (isolation frequency: 4.8–17.8%, slight disease severity) were:Amaranthus sp.,A. melanolepis, C. arvensis, Erodium sp.,Euphorbia sp.,E. helioscopia, H. echioides, L. serriola, Malva sylvestris, R. raphanistrum, S. alba, S. arvensis, S. oleraceus andTrifolium sp. Some species —C. draba, C. album, L. serriola andS. nigrum L. — that usually showed external and vascular wilt symptoms, occasionally exhibited only reduced growth. Visible symptoms under natural field conditions in all 13 weed species that had never been reported as hosts ofV. dahliae were similar to those observed after their artificial inoculation. The fungus was not isolated fromFoeniculum vulgare ssp.piperitum, Oxalis corniculata andStellaria media, among other species. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Sept. 18, 2002.     

Antagonistic effect ofTrichoderma harzianum on postharvest pathogens of rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum)

Trichoderma harzianum (TrH 40) isolated from soil samples from rambutan orchards (Nephelium lappaceum) had antagonistic effects against three postharvest pathogens of rambutan:Botryodiplodia theobromae, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides andGliocephalotrichum microchlamydosporum, causative fungi of stem end rot, anthracnose and brown spot, respectively. The effects were due to both antibiosis and mycoparasitism.T. harzianum (TrH 40) treatment, while reducing the occurrence of the three postharvest diseases, also retained the overall quality and color of the fruits.     

Species composition and seasonal-occurrence of spider mites and their predators in sprayed and unsprayed apple orchards in Tokat, Turkey

The species composition and seasonal cycle ofTetranychus urticae Koch (two-spotted spider mite) andEotetranychus uncatus Garman (garman spider mite; the two species were evaluated together),Amphitetranychus viennensis (Zacher) (hawthom red spider nite),Panonychus ulni (Koch) (European red mite),Bryobia rubrioculus (Scheuten) (brown mite) (Acari Tetranychidae),Cenopalpus pulcher Can and Fanz. (flat scarlet mite) (Tenuipalpidae) and their natural enemies (Phytoseiidae and Stigmaeidae family members) were compared in two apple orchards during the years 2000 to 2002 in Tokat, Turkey. One orchard was pesticide-free, and the other was sprayed. Surveys were carried out once a week from April to November and the differences in the dominant species of spider mites and phytoseiid mites between the two orchards were recorded. In the sprayed orchard, the dominant phytophagous mites wereA. vienensis andP. ulmi whereas in the unsprayed orchardE uncatus andC pulcher were abundant. It was found that the predatory mites were able to control spider mites in the unsprayed orchard, but the population level was not adequate to control them in the sprayed orchard, presumably due to the excessive use of pesticides.     

A survey of the Eriococcidae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of Ankara Province,Turkey

The Coccoidea of cultivated and non-cultivated areas of Ankara Province, in central Anatolia, Turkey, were surveyed between 1999 and 2001. Eleven species of Eriococcidae were collected, of which nine are new records for Turkey:Acanthococcus greeni Newstead,A. micracanthus Danzig,A. munroi Boratynski,A. roboris (Goux),A. zernae Tereznikova,Rhizococcus cingulatus (Kiritchenko),R. cynodontis (Kiritchenko),R. herbaceus Danzig andR. pseudinsignis (Green). http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Sept. 30, 2003.     

Note:In vitro antagonism of actinomycetes isolated from fungus-growing ants against plant pathogenic fungi

Fungus-growing ants have been found recently to be symbiotic with actinomycetes living on the ant’s cuticle; these bacteria are inhibitory to soil fungi that are detrimental to the ants’ fungus gardens. In order to investigate whether actinomycetes found on the cuticle of attine ants also had inhibitory properties against plant pathogenic fungi, we isolated 32 strains of actinomycetes from fungus-growing ants (Atta, Trachymyrmex, andCyphomyrmex), from the Mexican states of Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas. Of the actinomycetes tested against selected plant pathogenic fungi (Alternaria solani, Aspergillus flavus, Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium sp.) on Czapek-Dox agar medium, 13 isolates inhibited at least one of the fungi.C. lindemuthianum was inhibited by 11 actinomycetes, andRhizoctonia by three. An actinomycete strain isolated fromCyphomyrmex rimosus inhibited all five fungi tested. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting July 30, 2008.     

Identification by meconia of two egg parasitoids ofThaumetopoea wilkinsoni

Baryscapus servadeii (Dom.) andOoencyrtus pityocampae (Mercet) were the most frequent egg parasitoids ofThaumetopoea wilkinsoni Tams (Lep.: Thaumetopoeidae) in the Mountains of Lahav, Israel. Their meconia, remaining in the eggs, differ in structure and can be used to determine the annual rate of parasitism without collecting emergent adults. InB. servadeii, diapausing insects can be discriminated from non-diapausing ones by their meconia.     

Parasitoid community of the loreyi leaf wormMythimna (Acantholeucania) loreyi: Novel host-parasitoid associations and their efficiency in the eastern mediterranean region of Turkey

The loreyi leaf worm,Mythimna (Acantholeucania) loreyi Duponchel (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), is a pest of gramineous crops and causes significant economic damage to maize. In field surveys on maize to determine the parasitoid community and its impact on the pest in the eastern Mediterranean region of Turkey, nine parasitoid species were found associated with immature stages ofM. loreyi: The hymenopteran (Braconidae and Ichneumonidae) parasitoidsCotesia (=Apanteles) ruficrus (Haliday),Chelonus oculator Panzer,Meteorus ictericus Nees,Hyposoter didymator (Thunberg),Sinophorus sp.; and the dipteran (Tachinidae) parasitoidsPseudogonia rufifrons Wiedeman,Exorista rossica Mesnil,Gonia picea (Robineau-Desvoidy) andLinnaemya vulpina (Fallen) — the last three recorded for the first time as parasitoids ofM. loreyi in Turkey.C. ruficrus was the dominant parasitoid species, being recovered from 38.5% of the larvae collected and was also the most prevalent species, existing in 91.0% of the fields in whichM. loreyi was found. Total parasitism levels achieved by braconid species was 41.4%, by ichneumonid parasitoids 4.8%, and by tachinid parasitoids 1.9%. In a separate field experiment, seasonal population fluctuations and natural efficiency ofC. ruficrus onM. loreyi were found to be 35.1% and 42.4%, respectively. Population levels ofC. ruficrus were closely related to fluctuations in the population ofM. loreyi, with parasitism ranging between 0 and 77.3% during the study. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Aug. 28, 2005.     

Phytophthora root and crown rot of raspberry in Bulgaria

Root and crown rot of raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) was observed in a plantation at the experimental station of small fruits in Kostinbrod, Bulgaria. Isolates ofPhytophthora spp. were obtained from diseased plants. Colony morphology, growth rates, features of asexual and sexual structures were studied and as a result twoPhytophthora species were identified:Phytophthora citricola Saw. andPhytophora citrophthora (R.E. Sm. & E.H. Sm.) Leonian. Their pathogenicity was confirmed in artificial inoculation experiments. The isozyme (-esterase) patterns ofP. citrophthora andP. citricola isolates from raspberry and from the collection of the CBS, Baarn the Netherlands were compared, using micro-gel electrophoresis. Both species are reported for the first time as pathogens of raspberry in Bulgaria. This is only the second report in phytopathological literature ofP. citrophthora on raspberry, the first being from Chile [Latorre and Munoz, 1993].