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Parasitoid complex of alfalfa aphids in an IPM intensive crop system in northern Catalonia

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Abstract

Alfalfa aphids were monitored and aphid parasitism was determined in three crop-growing seasons (2007–2009) in commercial alfalfa fields in valleys close to the Pyrenees, where an intensive arable crop rotation is practised under non-tillage and an integrated pest management system. Acyrthosiphon pisum, Therioaphis trifolii, and Aphis craccivora were the aphid species colonizing alfalfa fields but their occurrence varied between years. Thirteen Aphidiinae parasitoid species and four Aphelinidae from the genus Aphelinus sp. were recorded. Aphidius ervi was the prevalent parasitoid species associated with A. pisum but Praon barbatum was also noticeable, especially during the first year. Trioxys complanatus and P. exsoletum were the only species associated with T. trifolii. Lysiphlebus fabarum was the prevalent parasitoid species associated with A. craccivora. The occurrence of Lysiphlebus testaceipes parasitizing A. craccivora on alfalfa is a new record for the study region because this parasitoid species had only been previously found on weeds. Only A. pisum and A. craccivora were parasitized by Aphelinus sp. Whereas A. abdominalis and A. semiflavus were associated with A. pisum, A. chaonia, and Aphelinus sp. nr. albipodus were associated with A. craccivora. Associations between aphid species and Aphidiinae or Aphelinidae parasitoid species emphasize that individual aphid species also possess individual parasitoid complexes (guilds) which do not interfere with each other in alfalfa. Alloxysta victrix, A. macrophadna, Alloxysta spp., Asaphes suspensus, A. vulgaris, Dendrocerus aphidum, Pachyneuron aphidis and Syrphophagus aphidivorus were the hyperparasitoids associated with aphid–parasitoid complexes. Our study showed A. ervi, T. complanatus, P. exsoletum, and L. fabarum as potential candidate species which could provide biological control of their respectively aphid hosts in alfalfa.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partially funded by the Cooperativa Pirenaica de La Seu d’Urgell (agreements CO8026 and CO9036 with the Universitat de Lleida). Thanks are due to Ignacio Romagosa for helping with the statistical analysis and to Ramon Albajes for criticism of the manuscript. We are also very grateful to Juli Pujade-Villar (Universitat de Barcelona) for the identification of samples of Alloxysta species. We further thank three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre UdL-IRTA, Universitat de Lleida, Lleida, Spain

    Xavier Pons & Belén Lumbierres

  2. Himenòpters de Ponent, Torres de Segre, Lleida, Spain

    Ribes Antoni

  3. Biology Centre, ASCR, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

    Petr Starý

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

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Communicated by M. Traugott.

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Pons, X., Lumbierres, B., Antoni, R. et al. Parasitoid complex of alfalfa aphids in an IPM intensive crop system in northern Catalonia. J Pest Sci 84, 437–445 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-011-0383-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-011-0383-0

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