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Evaluating potential olive orchard sugar food sources for the olive fly parasitoid Psyttalia concolor

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Abstract

Olive fruit fly Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a major olive pest in the Mediterranean basin where increasing insecticide resistance has enhanced damage and necessitates more reliance on other control strategies, such as biological control. Provision of floral resources has been reported to improve the effectiveness of natural enemies. Here, we tested the effect of six plant nectars and two honeydew sources on the survival of Psyttalia concolor (Szépligeti) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid wasp used in the biological control of olive fruit fly. Our results showed a positive effect on survival associated with nectars of Anchusa azurea Mill., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Lavatera cretica L. and Calamintha nepeta (L.) Savi, while honeydew proved to be a valuable alternative food source. When offering flowers directly to insects, Anchusa azurea, Lavatera cretica, and Foeniculum vulgare L. were found to be the most beneficial species, indicating also that P. concolor feeds predominantly on shallow corollas.

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Acknowledgments

This research is part of a project devoted to Increasing functional biodiversity in olive groves to enhance conservation biological control of insect pests. Research was financially supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), with partial funding from the European Fund for Regional Development, through the project PTDC/AGR‐AAM/100979/2008 Increasing functional biodiversity in olive groves to enhance conservation biological control of insect pests. We thank Dr. Flor Budia, Dr. Pedro Del Estal and Luís Queirós from the Entomology Laboratory of the Universidade Complutense of Madrid, for their help and for providing the initial populations of C. capitata and P. concolor, necessary to establish the colonies used in this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAAM - Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada, Escola de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Núcleo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal

    C. Furtado, A. F. Belo, E. Ganhão & F. T. Rei

  2. CQ-VR, Centro de Química. Departamento de Química, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e AltDouro, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal

    F. M. Nunes

  3. Organisms & Environment Division School of Biosciences, College of Biomedical & Life Sciences, Cardiff University, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK

    C. T. Müller

  4. CITAB, Centro de Investigação e de Tecnologias Agro-Ambientais e Biológicas, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal

    L. Torres

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  1. C. Furtado
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  2. A. F. Belo
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Correspondence to F. T. Rei.

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Furtado, C., Belo, A.F., Nunes, F.M. et al. Evaluating potential olive orchard sugar food sources for the olive fly parasitoid Psyttalia concolor . BioControl 61, 473–483 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-016-9732-5

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