Mediterranean Flour Moth Ephestia Kuehniella Research Articles

Testing the Effects of Prey Type on the Life History and Population-Level Parameters of Chrysoperla externa (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae).

Green lacewings are valuable predators, utilized in augmentative biological control against various agricultural pests. However, further studies are required to comprehend the performance of these predators when consuming natural prey. We investigated the capacity of Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) to utilize the following three distinct prey types: the pupae of the coffee leaf miner Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Mèneville & Perrottet), the eggs of the sugarcane borer Diatraea saccharalis (F.), and the eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller). The first two of these species are naturally occurring prey found in field crops, while the last serves as a factitious prey species for the mass rearing of natural enemies. We hypothesized that the type of prey would differentially affect the life history and population-level parameters of C. externa. Laboratory experiments were conducted to compare the pre-imaginal survival and developmental times, adult longevity and reproduction, and population growth of C. externa when larvae were provided with each of the three prey items. Results indicated that C. externa utilized the two natural prey items, L. coffeella pupae and D. saccharalis eggs, for its development, reproduction, and population growth. However, larvae developed significantly faster and females exhibited higher reproductive parameters, including fecundity and daily oviposition, when consuming the factitious prey, E. kuehniella eggs. This resulted in a higher intrinsic rate of population increase, as well as shorter times for the population to double in size. Understanding the population dynamics of C. externa when consuming different prey items is crucial for optimizing their utilization in augmentative biological control programs.

Automated identification and counting of predated Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) eggs using deep learning image analysis

Predation or kill rate of biological control agents is often used as a proxy to evaluate the efficacy of different species of natural enemies and under different conditions. For generalist predators and many egg parasitoids, eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) are used as factitious prey or hosts in laboratory and field experiments, as they are widely available from mass rearings of the biological control industry. Evaluating the predation or parasitism activity of natural enemies on E. kuehniella is a valuable tool for biological control practitioners around the world. However, manual assessments are laborious and prone to error, as observations may be subjective and depend on the individual performing the task. Here, we developed an automated protocol based on the deep learning object detection algorithm YOLOv5, for the accurate estimation of predated E. kuehniella eggs by piercing-sucking generalist predators. The application of the trained deep learning model achieved high precision (0.90) and recall (0.93) in the identification of predated eggs among intact eggs in our test experiment and was more accurate and faster than two independent observers that performed manual counting under a stereo microscope based on the mean absolute percentage error metric. Furthermore, a case study is presented where the predation activity of the generalist predators Orius laevigatus, Orius majusculus, Orius minutus, Nesidiocoris tenuis, Macrolophus pygmaeus, and Dicyphus errans is compared. Further applications and expansions of the protocol are discussed.

Fumigant toxicity of four essential oils against the carob moth Ectomyelois ceratoniae Zeller and the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella

ABSTRACT Eucalyptus leucoxylon, Rosmarinus officinalis, berries, and leaves of Schinus molle essential oils were analysed using GC-MS techniques and assessed for their fumigant toxicity against adults, larvae, and eggs of Ectomyelois ceratoniae and Ephestia kuehniella. Results showed that E. leucoxylon contained Spathulenol, p-Cymene, and Cryptone as major compounds. GC – MS analyses showed that the major compounds of R. officinalis essential oil were 1,8-Cineole, Camphor, and α-pinene. I-Phellandrene, t-Muurolol, and Phellandrene were the major components of the S. molle leaves; while I-Phellandrene, Limonen, and δ-Cadinene were the major components of the S. molle berries. S. molle berries were the most efficient followed by R. officinalis against E. ceratoniae and E. kuehniella. The most effective tested essential oil against E. ceratoniae larvae was S. molle berries. Results on the ovicidal and larvicidal effects of the tested oils demonstrated that R. officinalis was the most effective essential oil against E. kuehniella eggs.

Is pollinivory in the omnivorous ladybird beetle Micraspis discolor (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) symbiosis-dependent?

The ladybird beetle Micraspis discolor is a potential biological control agent in the rice ecosystems of Asia. Besides attacking a range of arthropod prey the ladybird also feeds on pollen. To explore the mechanism of pollinivory of M. discolor, we compared the transcriptomes and microbiomes of the ladybird when fed rape pollen versus insect foods (the aphid Aphis craccivora, the mealybug Planococcus citri or eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella). We also set out to identify putative cellulase genes and cellulolytic bacteria that might aid in pollen digestion. From the genome of M. discolor, we only identified glycoside hydrolase family 1 genes as candidate cellulase genes. However, these genes were not differentially expressed under the pollen-fed treatment as compared to the other diets. Transcriptome comparison among different diet treatments of M. discolor showed that differentially expressed genes were mainly related to nutrient metabolism, indicating differences in nutrient and antinutrient composition among the different diets. When comparing the microbiomes of M. discolor under different diet treatments, cellulolytic bacteria, like Siphonobacter aquaeclarae, were detected as discriminative biomarkers of pollen feeding. The findings from transcriptome and microbiome analyses indicate that cellulolytic bacteria might play a more important role than endogenous genes in pollen digestion by this ladybird beetle.

Entomopathogens as biological control of the mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller, Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is one of the most important insect pests that invade the stored grain of many grains around the world. Chemical control is a very preferred method in the fight of this pest. However, due to the economic, social and environmental damages of chemicals, the interest in biological control, which is an alternative method, is gradually increasing. Entomopathogens have very important in biological control and that cause desired infections in pests. Entomopathogens include many species such as viruses, bacteria, protists, fungi and nematodes. In recent years, entomopathogeic nematodes; Steinernema feltiae, Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema riobrave, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Heterorhabditis sp., Steinernema sp., and Xenorhabdus nematophila, entomopathogenic fungi; Paecilomyces fumosoroseus (=Isaria fumosorosea), Beuveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae, entomopathogenic bacteria; Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki, Photorhabdus temperata and Bacillus subtilis, entomopathogenic protists; Vairimorpha ephestiae, Leidyana ephestiae, Mattesia dispora and Mattesia oryzaephili, and virus; Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (NPV) were reported from E.kuehniella. In this review, it is aimed to evaluate the recent status of these entomopathogenic organisms found or tested for E. kuehniella

Alternate lighting to enhance the oviposition behavior of parasitoid wasps by increasing the movement of host larvae

An optical method, alternate lighting, is proposed to increase the oviposition activity of parasitoid wasps. The Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a substitute host for rearing Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid wasp of exposed-living lepidopteran pests, but its low autonomous oviposition in E. kuehniella larvae had to be improved. We attempted to enhance the oviposition behavior of M. pulchricornis by increasing the movement of E. kuehniella larvae through negative phototaxis by alternate LED lighting. Alternate lighting at 5 min intervals approximately tripled the movement of E. kuehniella larvae and almost doubled the number of eggs laid by M. pulchricornis into them. Silk-thread entanglement was a critical problem that decreased intact wasps when they were together with E. kuehniella larvae; however, it could be relieved under alternate lighting.

The effect of host species on the development of immature stages and biological aspects of the larval parasitoid, Bracon hebetor Say [Hymenoptera: Braconidae] adults

Present research was conducted to study the effect of the host species on the developmental duration of the immature stages of the larval parasitoid, Bracon hebetor and on the biological aspects of the adults of the parasitoid when reared on three different hosts: the great wax moth Galleria mollonella, the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella and the fig moth Ephestia cautella. The results showed that the species of host had a significant effect on some development of the immature stages of the parasite, B. hebetor, as the longest period of the pupa duration on the G. mellonella host was 7.37 days, while the shortest period of the pupa duration on the E. kuehniella host was 4.87 days. The results indicated that there was a significant difference in the period of development from egg to adult of the parasite when reared on host G. mellonella and host E. kuehniella, which amounted to 12.97 and 10.07 days, respectively, on the one hand, and between host E. cautella and host E. kuehniella on the other hand were 11.93 and 10.07 days, respectively. The results also showed that the highest value of the percentage of eggs hatching was 86.60% on the host G. mellonella, while it was 53.7 and 67.80% on the hosts E. kuehniella and E. cautella, respectively.

Effectiveness of the Brown Lacewing, Sympherobius barberi Banks as a Biological Control Agent of the Asian Citrus Psyllid Diaphorina citri Kuwayama.

The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP) Diaphorina citri Kuwayama is an economically important pest of citrus because it vectors the causal pathogens of huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening disease. Biological control is an important component of citrus pest management but requires consistent strengthening of its impact on pest complex. The brown lacewing Sympherobius barberi Banks is a known predator of several insect pests from Asia, Europe, and America. However, there is not much information about its effectiveness against D. citri. We evaluated S. barberi against the D. citri and frozen eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella, the latter is a common diet used for rearing predators in laboratories. Adult S. barberi successfully fed on D. citri eggs and nymphs under both light and dark conditions. Diaphorina citri was also suitable for the development and reproduction of S. barberi except for slightly prolonged larval development compared with E. kuehniella diet. The egg hatch from the total number of eggs laid on D. citri and E. kuehniella diets averaged 65% and 52%, respectively. Females laid 64% eggs on dimpled white paper compared to 36% combined on plain paper and leaves of citrus, orange jasmine, eggplant and cantaloupe. Sympherobius barberi released at densities of 2–6 adults against eggs and nymphs of D. citri on infested orange jasmine plants in the cages provided a reduction of 43–81% in the number of provided eggs or nymphs. In the field tests on D. citri infested citrus trees, reduction averaged 35% in five cohorts in which developing colonies of 28–32 nymphs were provided to one S. barberi per cage. Findings suggest the significant potential of S. barberi as a predator of D. citri and to contribute to reducing huanglongbing.

Nutritional quality of Drosophila melanogaster as factitious prey for rearing the predatory bug Orius majusculus.

The predatory bug, Orius majusculus (Reuter), is an important predator of thrips commercially produced for augmentative releases using the eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller). In this study, we assessed the potential for using frozen adults of fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen), either as nymphal rearing diet or as diet throughout the entire life-cycle. We compared life-history traits and reproduction of predators when fed D. melanogaster with high lipid body content (lipid-rich) and with high protein body content (protein-rich), using a diet of 100% E. kuehniella eggs as control. We also analyzed the biochemical composition of both prey and predator in order to assess the nutritional quality of each diet, which partially explained the adequacy of the different diets for O. majusculus. There were significant differences between predators fed the two types of D. melanogaster, with the protein-rich flies as diet providing the best results in terms of mortality and fecundity. Furthermore, we show that while feeding O. majusculus throughout their development with D. melanogaster increases mortality and reduces reproduction, protein-rich D. melanogaster can be used as nymphal diet with minimal reduction in reproductivity and minimal increase in mortality.

Fumigant toxicity at low temperature of four different essential oils against different stages of Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Biyopreparatlar, bitkisel bileşikler ve fungus, bakteri, nematod vb. canlı organizmalardan elde edilen ve biyolojik madde şekline getirilerek tarımda zararlılara ve hastalıklara karşı kullanılan preparatlardır. Elde edilmesi kolay ve çevrede kalıntı bırakmayarak buhar özelliğine sahip hızlı bir şekilde parçalanabilen uçucu yağlar, kimyasal sentetiklere alternatifler olarak görülmektedir. Bu çalışmada seçilen dört farklı bitkinin [kişniş (Coriandrum sativum L.), adaçayı (Salvia officinalis L.), lavanta (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) ve nane (Mentha spicata L.)] uçucu yağlarının, Değirmen güvesi Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)‘nın iki farklı gelişme dönemine karşı fümigant toksisitesine bakılmıştır. E. kuehniella‘nın larva döneminde üç günlük deneme süresinde adaçayı ve kişniş uçucu yağlarının en yüksek fümigant etkiyi (sırasıyla %96 ve %98) gösterdiği belirlenmiştir. Zararlının yumurta döneminde ise lavanta ve kişniş uçucu yağlarında %98 oranında bir fümigant etki görülmüştür. Dahası bu bitkilerin en az dozlarının bile yumurta açılımını en yüksek düzeyde engellediği tespit edilmiştir. Bu sonuçlara göre çevre dostu uçucu yağların zararlının mücadelesinde umut verici olduğu görülmüştür.

Screening for insecticidal efficacy of two Algerian essential oils with special concern to their impact on biological parameters of Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Chemical composition of Algerian Mentha rotundifolia and Myrtus communis essential oils, their insecticidal activities and their impact on some biological parameters of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella were assessed. Results showed that M. rotundifolia essential oil contained piperitenone oxide (46.06%), d-limonene (9.10%), cis-piperitone oxide (6.81%), and endo-borneol (4.64%) as major compounds, while M. communis oil was rich in α-pinene (29.08%), 1,8-cineole (36.82%), α-terpineol (6.42%), geranyl acetate (4.38%), and β-linalool (4.04%). The fumigant potential and contact toxicity tests against E. kuehniella demonstrated the effectiveness of M. rotundifolia essential oil (LC50 = 0.54 μL/L air, LC50 = 0.004 μL/cm2) compared to M. communis oil (LC50 = 2.91 μL/L air, LC50 = 0.025 μL/cm2). Moreover, results revealed that all biological parameters were significantly affected (fecundity: 6 eggs/female, oviposition deterrence: 96.62%, log fertility: 0, hatching rate: 0%, copulation rate: 0% for M. rotundifolia oil against fecundity: 93 eggs/female, percentage of oviposition deterrence: 47.85%, log fertility: 6.7, hatching rate: 57%, copulation rate: 53.33% for M. communis oil). This work supports the use of botanical insecticide as active pest control agents under storage conditions.

Combined action of Lavandula angustifolia Miller essential oil and gamma irradiation treatment on some biological aspects of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an integrated pest management intervention for controlling the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller using gamma radiation and Lavandula angustifolia Moench essential oil as feasible alternatives to synthetic insecticides. The mortality rate of E. kuehniella larvae treated with either gamma radiation or L. angustifolia essential oil separately was much lower than the mortality rate after the combined treatment. High synergistic effects (Synergism = 0.1) were observed in all dosages, especially using 1.14 and 1.7 µL/L air of L. angustifolia in combination with 200 Gy of gamma radiation, which was more effective than the other treatments. The results of the antifeedant test indicated that the relative growth rate and relative consumption rate in fumigated (0.021 and 0.021 mg/mg/day) and irradiated (0.026 and 0.049 mg/mg/day) larvae were significantly lower than those of non-treated ones (0.035 and 0.093 mg/mg/day). The results also showed a significant increase in the efficacy of conversion of ingested food and feeding deterrent index due to both irradiation and essential oil. The experiments showed that the known insecticidal effectiveness of essential oils can be enhanced by preliminary irradiation.

Host-preference and parasitic capacity of new candidates of Trichogramma species (Hym.:Trichogrammatidae) against some stored product moths

The host-preference and parasitic capacity of some local Trichogramma spp. (T. bourarachae, T. cordubensis, T. euproctidis and T. cacociae) towards four species of stored product moth eggs were investigated in order to select new candidate species for use in mass rearing and biological control against moths in storages. The efficacy of the Trichogramma spp. was compared with T. evanescens, the common wasp used commercially for biological control. Experiments were carried out by offering a single parasitoid female to eggs of the Indianmeal moth Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller, the warehouse moth E. elutella (Hubner), and the almond moth, Cadra cautella (Walker) in choice and no-choice assays. Two different choice experiments were used to certify the same conclusion in both methods. The bioassay for host-preference of Trichogramma was carried out by offering a single early female wasp the choice between equal numbers of host eggs on square cards “Petri dish tests “and/or strip cards “strip card tests”. In Petri dish tests, E.kuehniella was a highly acceptable host species for T. bourarachae, T. euproctidis, and T. cacociae wasps while E.elutella and C.cautella eggs were more acceptable for T. evanescens and T.cordubensis, respectively. In strip card tests, E.kuehniella eggs were highly acceptable for T.bourarachae, T.cacociae and T.evanescens. Eggs of E.elutella and C.cautella were more acceptable for T.euproctidis andT. cordubensis, respectively. Significant differences were found among the parasitic capacity of the tested Trichogramma spp.: T. borarachae showed a good parasitic potential against S.cerealella and E. kuehniella; T.evanescens and T. cacociae against S.cerealella; T. cordubensis against S.cerealella and P. interpunctella and T. euproctidis against P. interpunctella. All tested wasps had a propensity to superparasitize the host eggs. T. cordubensis, T. euproctidis and T. borarachae showed promise for further investigation into selecting new biological control agents against some stored product lepidopterous pests.

Host suitability of the Mediterranean flour moth for rearing Meteorus pulchricornis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a polyphagous endoparasitoid of pest lepidopteran larvae

We investigated the host suitability of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) for a polyphagous koinobiont endoparasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a common natural enemy of various pest lepidopteran larvae. The estimated probability of adult wasp emergence was 80% or higher when eggs were laid in nearly fully grown larvae of E. kuehniella (fresh weight, > 20.0 mg). The body size of emerged adult wasps increased with the initial weight of the host larvae at oviposition. The fresh weight of adult wasps reared on E. kuehniella was approximately 60% of that when reared on a natural host Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and the lifetime fecundity of wasps reared on E. kuehniella was approximately half of that when reared on S. litura. Ephestia kuehniella was shown to be a positive host candidate for the mass rearing of M. pulchricornis, but further investigation is needed to increase the body size of wasps for more practical use of this species as a biocontrol agent.

Probiotic Enterococcus mundtii Isolate Protects the Model Insect Tribolium castaneum against Bacillus thuringiensis.

Enterococcus mundtii strains isolated from the larval feces of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella show antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The in vitro probiotic characterization of one isolate revealed a high auto-aggregation score, a hydrophilic cell surface, tolerance for low pH, no hemolytic activity, and susceptibility to all tested antibiotics. We used the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, an established model organism, for the in vivo characterization of one probiotic E. mundtii isolate from E. kuehniella larvae. Tribolium castaneum larvae were fed orally with the probiotic isolate or the corresponding supernatant and then infected with either the entomopathogen Bacillus thuringiensis or Pseudomonas entomophila. Larvae exposed to the isolate or the supernatant showed increased survival following infection with B. thuringiensis but not P. entomophila. Heat treatment or treatment with proteinase K reduced the probiotic effect of the supernatant. However, the increased resistance attracts a fitness penalty manifested as a shorter lifespan and reduced fertility. T. castaneum has, pending on further research, the potential as an alternative model for the pre-screening of probiotics.

Chemical Composition and Toxicity of the Essential Oil of Coriandrum sativum L. and Petroselinum crispum L. Against Three Stored-Product Insect Pests

The utilization of natural and bio-rational insecticides such as plant essential oils has been extended in the recent years because of negative effects on environment and human health of synthetic chemicals. In the present study, toxicity of essential oils isolated from parsley, Petroselinum crispum L., and coriander, Coriandrum sativum L., have been investigated against three major stored-product insect pests; cowpea weevil (Callosobruchus maculates F.), Mediterranean flour moth (Ephestia kuehniella Zeller) and Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella (Hübner)). Chemical analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry displayed Dlimonene (18.83 %), myristicin (17.18 %) and apiol (10.09 %) in the essential oil of P. crispum and (+)-(S)carvone (39.55 %) and 4-carene (35.28 %) in the C. sativum essential oil were main components. The essential oils revealed significant toxicity against tested insects. LC50 values of C. sativum and P. crispum essential oils against C. maculatus adults were 72.167 and 71.071 μ/l air, respectively. These values were achieved as 62.633 and 52.412 μ/l air for E. kuehniella and 50.956 and 55.197 μ/l air for P. interpunctella larvae, respectively. For both essential oils a correlation between concentrations and mortality percentage has been attained. According to the results of present study, essential oils of P. crispum and C. sativum have worthy potential in the integrated management of C. maculatus, E. kuehniella and P. interpunctella.

Two-Spotted Ladybeetle Adalia bipunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae): A Commercially Available Predator to Control Asian Citrus Psyllid Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae).

The Asian citrus psyllid Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) is an economically important pest of citrus because it serves as a vector of the causal pathogens of huanglongbing (HLB) also known as citrus greening disease. The increased use of insecticides for control of D. citri negatively impacts several natural enemies including some effective ladybeetle species which are not available commercially. The two-spotted ladybeetle, Adalia bipunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is found in some crop and forest ecosystems of Asia, Europe and North America and available commercially. It is known to attack aphids and mealybugs but there are no published records of feeding on psyllids. We evaluated suitability and preference of A. bipunctata for nymphs of D. citri compared to corn leaf aphid Rhopalosiphum maidis (Hemiptera: Aphididae) a global pest of cereal crops and prey for many predaceous insects. We also compared development and reproduction of A. bipunctata on these two species with frozen eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) at 25°C. Initially, more D. citri than R. maidis nymphs were consumed in the no-choice tests although final consumption by larva and adult of A. bipunctata did not differ in the choice and no-choice tests. Larval development was prolonged by one day on D. citri compared to R. maidis nymphs but did not differ between either of these diets and E. kuehniella. Larval survival to adult averaged 93–100% and was not impacted by diet. Adult life span did not differ between diets although those on D. citri and R. maidis nymphs weighed less and produced fewer but more fertile eggs than on E. kuehniella eggs. Significant reduction of D. citri nymphs averaging 54% was observed in colonies caged with adult A. bipunctata on field planted citrus. R° (net reproductive rate) was least for beetles fed R. maidis, but otherwise there were no significant differences in demographic parameters. Successful feeding, development and reproductive performance of A. bipunctata suggest its usefulness as biological control agent of D. citri as well as aphid species exemplified by R. maidis.

Feeding History Affects Intraguild Interactions between Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and Episyrphus balteatus (Diptera: Syrphidae).

While the effect of several factors such as predator and prey size, morphology and developmental stage on intraguild predation (IGP) is widely investigated, little is known about the influence of diet on the occurrence and outcome of IGP. In the present study, the effect of the diet experienced during larval development on IGP between the ladybird Harmonia axyridis and the syrphid Episyrphus balteatus is investigated. Four diets were tested for H. axyridis: eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella, pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum, in an ad libitum amount, pea aphids in a limited amount, and honey bee pollen. For E. balteatus only the two aphid diets were tested. First, experiments were performed to determine the quality of the various diets for development of both predators. Second, IGP experiments between H. axyridis and E. balteatus were performed both in Petri dishes and on potted pepper plants. The diet of both species influenced the incidence of IGP between H. axyridis and E. balteatus both in Petri dishes and on potted plants. In general, smaller larvae of H. axyridis (those fed on poor or restricted diet) fed more on hoverflies than large (well-nourished) ladybird larvae. Further, poorly nourished (smaller) larvae of E. balteatus were more susceptible to predation than well-fed (larger) hoverfly larvae. The observed effects were not only due to the lower fitness of larvae of both predators reared on an inferior quality diet but also to changes in predator behaviour. The results from this study show that IGP interactions are influenced by a multitude of factors, including feeding history of the organisms involved, and emphasize the importance of taking these factors into account in order to fully understand the ecological relevance of IGP.

Use of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) to detect DNA damage induced by Prangos ferulacea (Umbelliferae) essential oil against the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

DNA damage detection in Ephestia kuehniella by RAPD-PCR Abstract - The random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay is a useful method for detecting genotoxin-induced DNA damage. In the present study, this assay was evaluated to measure the essential oil of Prangos ferulacea-induced DNA changes in Ephestia kuehniella Zeller larvae. The third instar larvae of E. kuehniella were exposed to 500 μl L-1 essential oil for 24 h. Forty random primers were used for RAPD-PCR of which eleven produced unique polymorphic band patterns. In comparison with control larvae, the essential oil-treated larvae showed greater changes in RAPD profiles. This is the first report of an analysis of the genotoxic effect of P. ferulacea essential oil against E. kuehniella larvae using RAPD-PCR.

Prey range of the predatory ladybird Cryptolaemus montrouzieri

The prey range of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri was studied in the laboratory to investigate whether the mealybug destroyer can contribute to the suppression of other pest insects besides mealybugs and to assess its potential impact on non-mealybug populations as part of an environmental risk assessment for its use in biological control. Prey tested in these experiments were: tobacco aphid Myzus persicae nicotianae (Sulzer)(Hemiptera: Aphididae), pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris)(Hemiptera: Aphididae), tobacco whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius)(Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), southern green stinkbug Nezara viridula (L.)(Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) eggs, western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)(Thysanoptera: Thripidae), two-spotted ladybird Adalia bipunctata (L.)(Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) eggs and eggs of the greater wax moth Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Larval survival was high to moderate when C. montrouzieri was provided with hemipteran prey and poor to zero when the ladybirds were provided with non-hemipteran prey. Females reared on M. persicae and A. pisum produced similar numbers of eggs as their counterparts fed the citrus mealybug Planococcus citri (Risso)(Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), but fecundity was significantly lower when the ladybirds were reared on B. tabaci nymphs or on A. bipunctata eggs. Prey species that were found to be less suitable for immature development of C. montrouzieri could still be an adequate food source for reproduction and survival of adult ladybirds. For example, only 8 % of the predator larvae reached the adult stage when provided with A. bipunctata eggs, but females that had developed on eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and that were supplied with A. bipunctata eggs from adult emergence on, were only 35 % less fecund than females provided with mealybugs in their adult life. The results are discussed in relation to the development of a suitable methodology for prey/host range testing in the framework of an environmental risk assessment for arthropod natural enemies.