Examining the nature involvement and green consumption values of nature photography tourists

This study examines the nature involvement and green consumption values of nature photography tourists. A questionnaire, developed and based on the literature, was used to collect data from the members of nature photography associations located in Adana and Mersin, Turkey. A total of 277 usable responses were obtained. Results suggested that attractiveness, identity expression and social bonding were the main involvement reasons for nature photographers. Results also suggested that there was a strong correlation between nature photography tourists? nature involvement and their green consumption values. Conclusions and implications were drawn based on the findings

Some Demographic Parameters of Lysiphlebus confusus, L. fabarum, and L. testaceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae)

PubMedID: 30834941Lysiphlebus confusus Tremblay and Eady, L. fabarum (Marshall), and L. testaceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) are important biological control agents for aphids. To select the appropriate biological control agent for a target pest, an understanding of the demographic parameters is essential. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine the effect of five temperatures, 12, 17, 22, 27, and 32°C, at 60% RH and 5.0 Lux photoperiod of 16:8 (L:D) h, on the parasitism rate, development, and fecundity of these three parasitoids of Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Only L. fabarum parasitized at 12°C and the rate was low. None of the parasitoids was able to develop at 32°C. Lysiphlebus testaceipes had the shortest developmental period at the other temperatures. Lysiphlebus confusus and L. fabarum had similar developmental times at 22 and 27°C, with L. confusus completing its development faster at 17°C. The mortality rate of the three parasitoids varied between 3 and 20% at 17, 22, and 27°C, except for L. testaceipes which had about 53% mortality at 27°C. Lysiphlebus testaceipes had the highest net reproductive rate at all temperatures for the 2.5 and 97.5% bootstrap CIs. Lysiphlebus fabarum had the highest intrinsic rate of increase at 22°C and L. testaceipes had the highest at the other temperatures. The best temperatures for fecundity were 17 and 22°C for L. testaceipes and 22°C for the other species. Lysiphlebus testaceipes appeared to be the most suited biological control agent for A. gossypii in southern Turkey, but its intolerance to high temperature could prove problematic for its establishment and persistence in this region. © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected]

Seasonal habits of predation and prey range in aphidophagous silver flies (Diptera chamaemyiidae), an overlooked family of biological control agents

Aphids are among the most widespread and serious groups of pests in agro-ecosystems, and predaceous arthropods have been proposed as biological control agents against them, including parasitic Hymenoptera, lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies and silver flies (Diptera Chamaemyiidae). Chamaemyiidae is a small family of predaceous flies, including aphidophagous and coccidophagous species. Little is known about their ecology, and partial failures of Chamaemyiidae-based biological control programs against aphids may be due to poor synchronization of predator-prey seasonal habits. In this study, we investigated seasonality of predation and prey range of aphidophagous Chamaemyiidae. A field survey was conducted on crops and indigenous flora in seven agricultural sites in southern Turkey. Seventeen host plant families were surveyed for Chamaemyiidae presence and 371 silver flies were studied. All Chamaemyiidae larvae were observed to prey on adult and young instar aphids in the field. Silver fly total larval abundance reached a maximum in autumn and early winter. Six species were identified: Leucopis annulipes, L. formosana, L. glyphinivora, L. revisenda, L. rufithorax and L. spyrothecae. L. glyphinivora was more abundant in July, L. annulipes and L. revisenda in September-October, and L. formosana in October-December. L. annulipes was found to prey mostly on Aphis gossypii, A. craccivora and A. fabae. L. formosana on A. gossypii, A. fabae and Toxoptera aurantii. L. glyphinivora on Brachycaudus cardui and Dysaphis plantaginea. L. revisenda on Myzus persicae. Our results add baseline knowledge on seasonal habits of predation and prey range of aphidophagous Chamaemyiidae and may be helpful for biological control purposes. © 2015, Universita degli Studi di Bologna, Department of Agroenvironmental Sciences and Technologies. All Rights Reserved.Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerc

Capsella bursa-pastoris is a key overwintering plant for aphids in the mediterranean region

The reproduction of aphids depends to a great extent on their host plants, an integration that impacts on the successful expansion of overwintering populations. Therefore, a survey was conducted to evaluate the globally distributed Capsella bursa-pastoris as an overwintering host of economically important aphid species, their parasitoids and hyperparasitoids in the southern and western regions of Turkey from November to March in 2006 to 2013. During this survey, 395 samples of C. bursa-pastoris were collected with 25 aphid species recorded. Among aphids that feed on this host, Myzus persicae, Aphis gossypii, Rhopalosiphum padi, Aphis fabae, Aphis craccivora, Lipaphis erysimi, and Brevicoryne brassicae were the most frequently recorded. In total, 10,761 individual parasitoids were identified. Binodoxys angelicae, Aphidius colemani, Aphidius matricariae, Diaeretiella rapae, Ephedrus persicae, and Lysiphlebus confusus were the most abundant aphidiines that emerged from the aphids collected from C. bursa-pastoris. Alloxysta spp. (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea), Chalcidoidea (unidentified at genus level), and Dendrocerus spp. (Hymenoptera: Ceraphronoidea) were identified as hyperparasitoids on the parasitoids. These findings indicate that C. bursa-pastoris is a key non-agricultural plant that significantly contributes to the overwintering of numerous aphids and their parasitoids, which should be given serious consideration when biological control strategies are de-signed. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland