Land use alters the abundance of herbivore and predatory insects on crops: the case of alfalfa

We assess the effects of changing land use and crop management on alfalfa insect abundance by comparing it in 50 alfalfa fields when they were inserted in landscapes with different proportions of arable crops and orchards. Land use in a buffer of 500 m was assessed, and alfalfa insect abundance was estimated with sticky yellow traps. The number of catches of several herbivores and predators was related to the proportion of landscape components and several field variables. Results indicated that the proportion of orchards in the buffer negatively affected the abundance of predators on alfalfa, likely because orchards treated with pesticides are a sink for predators moving in the landscape, among other possible causes. Other landscape variables such as noncrop habitats, winter cereals, and landscape diversity analysed by the Shannon index had a minor influence. Among field variables, field size influenced positively the abundance of insects on alfalfa, whereas alfalfa growth stage and age affected positively or negatively the different herbivores and predators. Of course, abundance of predators and prey was affected by the abundance of prey and predators, respectively. These findings suggest that a high proportion of intensively managed crops (orchards) in the landscape interferes with the role of alfalfa as a reservoir of predatory insects for adjacent crops and that the responses to local and landscape structures are temporal and species-specific as previously concluded for maize. Consequently, landscape and field management strategies to improve pest control must consider both types of variables as well as their changing influence when we modify them.

     

Do the interactions among natural enemies compromise the biological control of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci?

The whitefly Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a worldwide pest which has become one of the main pests in tomato crops. The predators Macrolophus pygmaeus (Rambur) and Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae) and the parasitoid Eretmocerus mundus (Mercet) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) have shown their efficacy at controlling B. tabaci populations when used as biological control agents. Intraguild predation (IGP) between natural enemies can affect their effectiveness at controlling pests. In the present study, the interaction of these three natural enemies and their effect on B. tabaci was studied on tomato plants by combining morphological observations and molecular analysis of trophic interactions. Under the conditions used in the present study, no IGP was detected between M. pygmaeus and N. tenuis by either counting dead predators or by PCR using prey-specific cytochrome c oxidase I primers. However, predation on B. tabaci decreased when they coexisted on the same plant, which could compromise the biological control of this pest. Although PCR analyses using E. mundus-specific primers showed predation on B. tabaci-parasitized nymphs in 27 % of M. pygmaeus and 17 % of N. tenuis, B. tabaci control was improved when both predators coexisted on the same plant with the parasitoid. The combined use of E. mundus and M. pygmaeus/N. tenuis is therefore recommended in order to improve B. tabaci control in conservation biological control strategies.     

Mammalian Sociality

CostsandBenefitsofGrouplivingSeveralcostsofgrouplivingimpedetheevolutionofsocialityinmammals-CompetitionforresourcesandmatesisintensifiedwheneverindividualsjointDgetherassocialgrdups-SocialUngulatesSocialungulatesclearlygainprotectionfrompredatorsbyliving…     

Interference competition and predation between invasive and native herbivores in maize

Interspecific interactions (e.g., competition, predation) are core determinants of insect population evolution, geographical distribution, trophic dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Following its recent invasion of eastern Asia, the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) co-inhabits maize fields with native lepidopteran herbivores, such as the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura. Here, drawing upon laboratory and field studies, we demonstrate how late-instar S. frugiperda larvae directly prey upon S. litura immature stages and competitively displace them from the maize whorl. Individual maize plants did not mediate the above interactions, with herbivore-damaged leaves not affecting the development rate of either species. In the field, ecological niches of S. frugiperda and S. litura overlapped, with species-specific occupancy rates of whorl-stage leaves (vegetative phase) and ears or tassels (reproductive phase) exceeding 70% and 90%, respectively. Field cage trials showed that S. frugiperda larvae either preyed upon or repelled S. litura larvae from maize plants, routinely resulting in more than 90% mortality of the latter. Field visits and cage studies in Yunnan (SW China) also revealed how—within an approx. 1-year time period—S. frugiperda has become a dominant species in local maize fields and co-infestation of both herbivores on the same plant is rare. Overall, our work shows how the invasive S. frugiperda exhibits a clear competitive advantage over native lepidopterans and could replace certain species within local agroecosystems. This study not only unveils the mechanistic causes of rapid ecological shifts within S. frugiperda-invaded cropping systems, but may also guide subsequent monitoring and management interventions.

     

Birds as predators of cork and holm oak pests

The recent decline of Mediterranean oak woodlands in SW Iberian Peninsula is related to insect pests which affect both cork oak (Quercus suber) and holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia). We identified twenty-six bird species as potential regular predators of twenty major pests by reviewing the diet of breeding, wintering and resident species in this ecosystem. Foraging guilds are strongly associated with predation at distinct stages of the pests’ life-cycle: ground-foragers prey on overwintering pupae and larvae of seed-borers, tree-foragers prey on eggs, larvae and pupae of defoliating and wood-boring pests, and aerial-sweepers prey on airborne imagines. Bird predation can cover the complete life-cycle of pest species because different species may be complementary due to a dissimilar exploitation of foraging niches and periods. Small generalist tree-foraging passerines are important pest predators given their high densities and widespread distribution in Mediterranean oak woodlands, but management practices can have a significant negative effect in their populations.     

Feeding habits of lycosid spiders in field habitats

Generalist arthropod predators are potential drivers of population dynamics in a wide variety of ecosystems but their feeding habits are often difficult to reveal as they are small, mobile, and live among dense vegetation or in soils. DNA-based gut-content analysis is a powerful tool that enables studies on arthropod predator–prey interactions. We studied lycosid spiders (Pardosa spp.) in agroecosystems to see if they consumed cereal aphids (Rhopalosiphum padi) and Collembolans at random, i.e., in proportion to their abundance in the field. We also tested if consumption of the target prey items was affected by the presence of alternative food. Spiders were captured in farmers’ fields and their gut-contents screened by PCR with R. padi and Collembola primers. On all sampling occasions, concurrent assessments of total prey availability were carried out. Spider predation rates on R. padi always exceeded 50 %. Spiders also tested positive for Collembola but to a lower and more varying degree. In general, Pardosa did not consume R. padi and Collembolans in relation to their abundance in the field. Aphid predation was much higher than expected whereas consumption of Collembolans was considerably lower. The presence of alternative prey influenced consumption of the aphid. It was concluded that prey consumption by Pardosa spiders generally cannot be assumed to simply mirror prey availability. The spatial distribution of the target prey needs to be considered as well as the abundance, composition, and nutritional content of potential alternative food items.     

Molecular determination of the predator community of a cassava whitefly in Colombia: pest-specific primer development and field validation

In South America, the whitefly Aleurotrachelus socialis is one of the principal pests of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), reaching high population levels throughout the Andean region. Management of this species is primarily based upon the use of insecticides, while biological control has received limited attention. Till present, knowledge of A. socialis natural enemies is restricted to occasional records of predators and parasitoids. In this study, we developed PCR primer sets specific for the cassava whitefly, A. socialis, to identify their predator community in Colombian cassava. Eleven percent of 586 predator specimens (representing 131 taxa from 29 families) tested positive for cassava whitefly DNA. Of the 21 predator taxa that consumed cassava whiteflies, an unidentified netwing beetle (Lycidae), an unidentified spider species (Araneae), Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a Cereaochrysa sp. (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), and a Leucochrysa sp. (Chrysopidae) were the taxa that consumed cassava whiteflies most frequently under field conditions. Two abundant predators in the system, Delphastus sp. (Coccinellidae) and the long-legged fly, Condylostylus sp. (Diptera: Dolichopodidae), were both positive for whitefly DNA, but did not have the strongest trophic linkage to the pest relative to other predators. This study shows that a diverse predator community affects cassava whitefly in southern Colombia, and provides the groundwork for the design of cassava production systems with minimal pesticide inputs.     

Combining banker plants to achieve long-term pest control in multi-pest and multi-natural enemy cropping systems

Banker plants increase biological pest control by supporting populations of non-pest arthropod species, used as alternative hosts or prey by natural enemies. Due to the specificity of trophic interactions, banker plants may not efficiently promote natural enemies with different ecologies. Yet in most cropping systems, different pest species are present together and require different biocontrol agents to efficiently control them. In the present study, we tested the combined use of two banker plants and their associated prey/host to enhance populations of the specialist parasitoid Encarsia formosa targeting the main tomato pest Bemisia tabaci, and a polyphagous ladybird Propylea japonica targeting the secondary pest Myzus persicae in tomato crops. In a laboratory and a greenhouse experiment, we measured the abundances of these four species using the Ricinus communis—Trialeurodes ricini banker plant system alone, in combination with the Glycines max—Megoura japonica system, or in absence of banker plants. We found that the first banker plant system enhanced populations of E. formosa, resulting in increased suppression of B. tabaci populations and the suppression of their outbreak in both our laboratory and greenhouse experiment. Conversely, abundances of P. japonica were not affected by this first system, but were significantly increased when the second was present. This resulted in increased control of M. persicae populations and the suppression of their early and late outbreaks. Our study demonstrates the potential for combined banker plants to provide long-term, sustainable control of multiple pests by their target natural enemies in complex agroecosystems.

     

华栗绛蚧的天敌研究

记述华栗绛蚧天敌18种,其中捕食性天敌7种,捕食率在25％以上;寄生性天敌11种,最高寄生率达62．7％。林间有天敌优势种7种     

Ernährungsbiologische Untersuchungen an vier Meisenarten (Parus spp.)

Observations and food analysis made in Beynam forests near Ankara, Turkey in 1981 showed that four species of titmice studied (Parus major, P. caeruleus, P. ater. P. lugubris anatoliae) fed their prey animals chiefly in the top of trees. Solely about 1,5% of prey descended from the air and 10% from the soil surface. The titmice proved to be important predators of forest insect pests. The three pest species:Euproctis chryorrhoea, Tortrix viridana andDiprion pini, amounted to 45–71% of the food of titmice.     

Qualitative and quantitative PCR methods using species-specific primer for detection and identification of wood rot fungi

Species-specific oligonucleotide primers for detecting wood rot fungi, Gloeophyllum trabeum, Trametes versicolor, Coniophora puteana, and Serpula lacrymans, and the primer detecting a group of related fungi to G. sepiarium were developed. These primer sequences were picked up from the internal transcribed spacer region between small-subunit rDNA and large-subunit rDNA. The species selectivities of the developed primers were checked. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out using these highly specific primers to quantitatively detect at least of 0.01 ng genome DNA of the target species. This quantitative PCR was also used to differentiate the target species DNA from mixed species DNA. A PCR-based technique using the species-specific primers would be applicable to multiple-sample assay in diagnosis of wood decay and to investigation of environmental fungal populations. Part of this article was presented at the International Symposium on Wood Science and Technology (IAWPC 2005), Yokohama, November 2005     

Predatory beetles in cacao agroforestry systems in Brazilian Atlantic forest: a test of the natural enemy hypothesis

The natural enemy hypothesis predicts a positive correlation between plant species diversity and natural enemy control. This study aimed to evaluate the role of traditional cacao agroforests, known as “cabrucas,” on the conservation of the predatory beetle community compared to that of monodominant rubber agroforests. Predatory beetles were sampled in three habitats in Southeastern Bahia, Brazil: cabrucas and rubber agroforests and native Atlantic forests. In each habitat, 18 10 m² plots were established, in which canopy cover was measured and beetles were sampled with a modified Malaise/window trap. Land use intensification did not affect the composition of predatory beetles, with the presence of widely distributed species that are also capable of colonizing simpler environments such as the rubber agroforest. Canopy cover had a positive effect on generalist predator diversity and we observed a reduction in the abundance and species richness of generalist predators with increasing habitat homogenization. Despite the simplified structure of the habitat, the remaining tree diversity and canopy cover in cabrucas supported a community of generalist predators similar to the one found in the native forest. Species diversity of bark beetle predators was higher in cabrucas, which may be due to the high diversity of bark beetles and the favorable abiotic conditions, whereas the low abundance of prey in the native forest and severe abiotic conditions in the rubber agroforest probably determined the lower diversity of generalist predators in these habitats. Cabrucas play an important role in the conservation, supporting a community of predatory beetles more similar to the one found in native forest and that is more effective at controlling populations of herbivores than in homogeneous rubber agroforests.     

Dipterenfeinde in Stallungen

A survey of the most important enemies of Diptera found out in stables of useful beasts is given. These are: disease fungus (Mycophyta), mites (Acari), spiders (Araneae), parasitic and predacious wasps (Hymenoptera), staphlinids (Coleoptera), larvae and adults of Diptera as well as birds of certain species. At voland species of enemies it will reported about the behaviour of the flight indoors and outdoors, the behaviour in the stable room and that of the enemies against their prey of Diptera by predators.     

Mycorrhizas and secondary succession in aspen-conifer forests: Light limitation differentially affects a dominant early and late successional species

Plant succession and mycorrhizal fungi both play crucial roles in shaping the development of forest ecosystems. However, despite the strong potential for interactions between them, few studies have examined how patterns of forest succession affect mycorrhizal associations that a majority of plant species depend on to alleviate soil resource constraints. Fire suppression in subalpine forests over the last century has changed successional patterns in ways that may have important implications for mycorrhizal associations of forest tree species. To better understand these relationships we conducted a field and greenhouse study in which we examined mycorrhizal infection along gradients of light intensity and soil nutrient availability that develop as aspen becomes seral to conifers under longer fire return intervals. We examined whether ectomycorrhizal associations of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), a shade intolerant, early succession species, were more sensitive to light and soil resource limitations than subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), a shade tolerant, late succession species. In the field study, ectomycorrhizal infection of aspen roots was reduced by 50% in conifer dominated stands relative to aspen stands. In contrast, subalpine fir maintained its EM associations regardless of the successional status of the stand. The greenhouse results were consistent with field results and indicated that light limitation was the driving force behind reductions in EM infection of aspen roots in later stages of succession. These results suggest that nutrient limitations constraining early successional species may be exacerbated by losses in EM associations via light limitations created by late successional species. This is one potential mechanism by which climax forest species create a competitive advantage over early successional species and these results suggest that it is likely exacerbated by longer fire return intervals.     

Mammal movements and foraging at remnant woodlands inside coniferous forest landscapes

Temporary or spatially restricted resources may affect population densities over more or less wide areas in the surrounding landscape or region. They may affect more than one trophic level by facilitation of predation. Areas of influence may differ between species. Such effects of mast-seeding in confined oak–hazel woodlands were examined for a guild of mainly seed-eating mammals and their predators. The mammals were tracked in snow in winter and the foraging of granivorous small mammals was assessed by experimental seed supplies in spring and autumn. Movements and foraging at various locations in and around the woodlands were distinguished from large-scale influences in the surrounding conifer forest landscape. Roe deer moved more abundantly inside the woodlands than in the conifer forest 50 m away and, less clearly, this was also the case for granivorous small mammals. Squirrels were particularly common at the edges while brown hares were somewhat less common at these edges. The edge effects appear therefore species-specific. Brown hares, squirrels, voles and granivorous small mammals were generally less common in the coniferous forest more than 500 m from the woodlands than in the coniferous forest 50 m from the woodlands. The most common generalist predator, the red fox, was as a mean equally common at all locations. However, it demonstrated a spatio-temporal variation in movements related to hare and, to a lesser extent, squirrel occurrence at open woodland sites. In order to sustain several mammalian species in conifer forest landscapes, not only granivorous ones, resource patches of oak and hazel should be retained, regenerated and, if possible, expanded. Such hot spots often need particular management.     

Distribution of a bark beetle and its predator within and outside old growth forest reserves: No increase of hazard near reserves

To test the hypothesis that reserves create a hazard because pest insects are more abundant in unmanaged forest reserves than in managed forests, pheromone trapping of lps typographus was done within and outside two small old growth forest reserves (Tallet and Nyteboda) in southern Sweden. Initially, two 2 km perpendicular transects centered in the Tallet reserve did not show higher abundance of insects in the reserve in 1986 and 1987. A second hypothesis, that more predators existed in the diverse ecosystem in the reserves (giving fewer bark beetles) was tested. An important predator of bark beetles, Thanasimus formkarius, was monitored with kairomone traps inside and outside reserves, together with the prey in 1989. The catches of the prey (Ips) showed the same pattern as earlier. The predator was caught in small numbers, but in a pattern opposite to the predictions of the hypothesis of higher catches inside the reserves.     

鹅掌楸属种及杂种的SSR分子鉴定

以不同种源的鹅掌楸、北美鹅掌楸和不同组合的杂交鹅掌楸为试验材料,对176对SSR引物进行初筛、复筛,最后筛选出1对物种特异性SSR引物。该引物在鹅掌楸群体中特异性扩增出190bp的产物,在北美鹅掌楸群体中特异性扩增出180bp的产物,在杂交鹅掌楸群体中特异性扩增出180bp和190bp2种产物。该引物对鹅掌楸种间鉴别准确率达100%。     

Attractiveness of three weed species to polyphagous predators and their influence on aphid populations in adjacent lettuce cultivations

The utilization of olfactory responses of predators and ­parasitoids to the allelochemicals emitted by phytophagous arthropods and their host plants is becoming more important in biological pest control. The effects of three weed ­species, i.?e. wormwood Artemisia vulgaris L., tansy Tanacetum vulgare L. and stinging nettle Urtica dioica L., which were planted as accompanying vegetations into a lettuce field, were examined for the predatory species Coccinella septempunctata L., Adalia bipunctata (L.), Propylea quatuordecimpunctata (L.) (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) and Chrysoperla carnea (Steph.) (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae), as well as for aphids during the summer of 2000. The presence of weeds significantly increased the density of adults and larvae of the predators on the lettuce plants in relation to the control (lettuce field without weeds). However, the differences remained smaller for eggs and pupae. C. septempunctata tended to be the most abundant species, followed by P. quatuordecimpunctata. Remarkable differences among the attractiveness levels of the weeds in the 3 treatments were not observed. The increased populations of predators were accompanied by significantly reduced infestation rates with aphids in the treatments in relation to the control. Myzus persicae Sulzer was in general the most abundant aphid species followed by Nasonovia ribisnigri Mosley and Macrosiphum euphorbiae Thomas. The results of the present study are discussed with respect to the management of agroecosystems and the use of weeds in biological control.     

RFLP analysis as a tool for identification of lignicolous basidiomycetes: European polypores

Restriction fragment length polymorphisms were generated for 52 species of lignicolous European polypores belonging to 31 different genera. An enzymatically amplified portion of the nuclear-encoded ribosomal DNA was found to be about 1800–1900 bp long for most taxa. After digestion with Hpa II, 44 distinct phenotypes were detected for the species under study; application of the additional restriction endonucleases, Hin 6 I and Hinf I, resulted in 48 species-specific and two genera-specific phenotypes. The procedure described should allow for a reliable identification of unknown mycelia of lignicolous fungi.