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Seasonal parasitism of cereal aphids in a Mediterranean arable crop system

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Abstract

We monitored winter cereal fields in a Mediterranean arable crop system to obtain information about the aphid parasitoid species composition and the aphid–parasitoid interactions through the whole cropping cycle. Nine species of aphid primary parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae) were identified. The most abundant species were Aphidius rhopalosiphi, Aphidius matricariae, Aphidius ervi and Lysiphlebus testaceipes. The genus Aphelinus sp. (Hym., Aphelinidae) was also identified. We determined seasonal host–parasitoid associations over the entire cereal crop cycle. A number of new such associations were recorded, which were previously unknown in Spain and Europe. Our results indicated broad associations of L. testaceipes and A. matricariae with cereal aphids; furthermore, the association of Aphelinus sp. with several cereal aphid species was also substantial. In the NE of the Iberian Peninsula, the cereal aphid parasitoids that we identified are able to develop throughout the crop season on one or more host species. Thus, the main aphid species can be parasitized effectively throughout the entire cereal crop cycle. We discuss the role of cereal aphid parasitoids in the region in the context of our experimental results.

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Acknowledgments

P. Starý was partially supported by Grant S5007102 (Grant Agency of the Acad. Sci. of the Czech Rep.) and by the Entomology Institute project Z500707 and Z50070508 (Acad. Sci of the Czech Rep.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universitat de Lleida, Centre UdL-IRTA, Rovira Roure 191, 25198, Lleida, Spain

    Belén Lumbierres & Xavier Pons

  2. Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Entomology, Branisovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Petr Starý

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  1. Belén Lumbierres
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  2. Petr Starý
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  3. Xavier Pons
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Correspondence to Xavier Pons.

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Lumbierres, B., Starý, P. & Pons, X. Seasonal parasitism of cereal aphids in a Mediterranean arable crop system. J Pest Sci 80, 125–130 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-006-0159-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-006-0159-0

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