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Molecular markers for Diadegma (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) species distinction and their use to study the effects of companion plants on biocontrol of the diamondback moth

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Abstract

Molecular markers facilitate the quantification of parasitization of pest species and the distinction of related parasitoid species. We designed new markers that allow the distinction of often misidentified Diadegma semiclausum and D. fenestrale parasitization in field-collected diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) larvae. The markers were applied to study if cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) companion plants increase parasitization of the diamondback moth by Diadegma parasitoids in cabbage fields, as they do in the Mamestra brassicae—Microplitis mediator pest-parasitoid pair. Among 1708 P. xylostella larvae analyzed, we found a high parasitization rate (72.2 % total, 41.7 % by D. semiclausum, 24.9 % by D. fenestrale, 5.6 % by both), but no significant effects of cornflower presence. Our results highlight the need for species-specific markers and the specific action of companion plants. To increase natural control in crop fields, habitat management needs to be tailored to—and acts on—specific target species.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all farmers for making their fields available, K. Oude-Lensferink, J. Preukschas, A. Moesch, D. Eglin, G. Förderer, M. Fürst and C. Gerber for help with field work, in the laboratory and during analyses, F. Ronco, for help with statistics, and Sebastian Gygli for proof-reading the manuscript. The project was supported by the Singenberg Foundation, the Bristol Foundation, the Federal Office for the Environment, the Parrotia-Foundation, the Werner Steiger Foundation, the Ernst Göhner Foundation, the Stiftung zur internationalen Erhaltung der Pflanzenvielfalt, Schöni Swissfresh AG and the Spendenstiftung Bank Vontobel.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 21, 5070, Frick, Switzerland

    Ivan Juric, Henryk Luka & Oliver Balmer

  2. Zoological Institute, Evolutionary Biology, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051, Basel, Switzerland

    Ivan Juric & Walter Salzburger

  3. Department of Environmental Sciences, NLU-Biogeography, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10, 4056, Basel, Switzerland

    Henryk Luka

  4. Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Socinstrasse 57, 4002, Basel, Switzerland

    Oliver Balmer

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  1. Ivan Juric
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  2. Walter Salzburger
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  3. Henryk Luka
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  4. Oliver Balmer
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Correspondence to Oliver Balmer.

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Handling Editor: Stefano Colazza.

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Juric, I., Salzburger, W., Luka, H. et al. Molecular markers for Diadegma (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) species distinction and their use to study the effects of companion plants on biocontrol of the diamondback moth. BioControl 60, 179–187 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-014-9637-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-014-9637-0

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