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Development and parasitization of an aphid’s secondary parasitoid, Dendrocerus laticeps (Hymenoptera: Megaspilidae), on Aphidius colemani (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

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Abstract

Banker-plant systems using Aphidius species have been employed to control pest aphids in greenhouses growing eggplant and sweet pepper in Japan. However, a strong negative correlation between the occurrence of secondary parasitoids and aphid-control success by this system was reported by Nagasaka et al. (2010). To control secondary parasitoid populations, detailed knowledge of their ecological characteristics is needed. In this paper, the development and parasitization ability of Dendrocerus laticeps (Hedicke) (Hymenoptera: Megaspilidae), a major secondary ectoparasitoid of Aphidius species in Japan, were examined under 25 °C laboratory conditions. The maximum female longevity was about 11 days when honeydew was available. Parasitization occurred only on mummified aphids, and the age of mummified aphids did not influence the ecological value of offspring. The maximum parasitization ability was 18.9 hosts/day estimated by Holling’s disc equation. Possible lifetime fecundity was 100.35. The intrinsic rate of natural increase estimated by the bootstrap method ranged from 0.211 to 0.321, depending on the assumptions made about larval mortality. The countermeasures for avoiding the negative impacts of D. laticeps in a banker-plant system include the development of a refuge for mummified aphids and increasing the temperature around the banker plants.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. Y. Suzuki for his useful comments. We thank Mr. H. Tanaka and Mrs. A. Iwasaki for rearing the insects and plants. We are also indebted to two anonymous reviewers for their critical reading of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. NARO Agricultural Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, 3-1-1 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8666, Japan

    Takayuki Mitsunaga, Koukichi Nagasaka & Seiichi Moriya

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  1. Takayuki Mitsunaga
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  2. Koukichi Nagasaka
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  3. Seiichi Moriya
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Correspondence to Takayuki Mitsunaga.

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Mitsunaga, T., Nagasaka, K. & Moriya, S. Development and parasitization of an aphid’s secondary parasitoid, Dendrocerus laticeps (Hymenoptera: Megaspilidae), on Aphidius colemani (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Appl Entomol Zool 49, 511–518 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13355-014-0278-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13355-014-0278-7

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