Biological control of Trialeurodes vaporariorum by Encarsia formosa on tomato in unheated greenhouses in the high altitude tropics

Biological control of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) by Encarsia formosa Gahan was tested during three consecutive production cycles (16-28 weeks) on a beef tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) crop in a glasshouse and a plastic greenhouse on the Bogota Plateau in Colombia. During the course of this study over the period 1997-1999, the mean temperature was around 16 °C in the plastic greenhouse and around 17 °C in the glasshouse. E. formosa was introduced at a rate of 3 adults per m2 per week in the 1997 production cycle, and at a rate of 3 and 5 pupae per m2 per week in 1998 and 1999, respectively. In 1997, the adult whitefly population increased exponentially to a peak of 76 adults per plant in the plastic greenhouse, while the whitefly population in the glasshouse reached a peak of only 12 adults per plant. The percentage parasitism fluctuated between 42 and 82% in the glasshouse and between 28 and 47% in the plastic greenhouse. In 1998, the T. vaporariorum population could not be brought under control in both greenhouses and reached a peak of 80 and 53 T. vaporariorum adults per plant in the plastic greenhouse and the glasshouse, respectively. Parasitism fluctuated between 55 and 97% in the glasshouse and between 32 and 84% in the plastic greenhouse. In 1999, biological control was successful in both greenhouses. Most of the time, populations of T. vaporariorum were lower than 1.2 adults per plant and parasitism by E. formosa was 80% or higher. We suggest that the higher temperature is the main reason for better parasitism in the glasshouse when compared to the plastic greenhouse. The successful results of 1999 show that biological control is possible under the short day and low temperature conditions of greenhouses situated in the high altitude tropics such as the Bogota Plateau. Recommendations are given for the application of E. formosa based on the results of these experiments

Biological control of whitefly on greenhouse tomato in Colombia: Encarsia formosa or Amitus fuscipennis?

In Colombia, biological control of pests in greenhouse crops is only applied on a very limited scale in ornamentals and as yet non-existent in greenhouse vegetables. Greenhouse production of vegetables - mostly tomatoes- is a recent development, as a result of the high losses of field production due to pests and diseases. Pest spectra in those production systems vary greatly with altitude, being much broader in the intermediate climate zones (altitude 1800-2000) than in the cold climate zones such as the Bogota Plateau (altitude 2660 m). The most important pest in greenhouses situated on the Bogota Plateau is the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum . In greenhouses where experimentally no pesticides are applied, aphid and leafminer pests are controlled beneath economic damage thresholds by naturally occurring parasitoids, with the exception of greenhouse whitefly. Therefore, with a biological control system for T vaporariorum , tomato production without insecticides should be possible. In this thesis I evaluate two natural enemies for the biological control of T vaporariorum : the introduced parasitoid Encarsia formosa and the native parasitoid Amitus fuscipenni s

Amitus fuscipennis, an alternative to the biological control of Trialeurodes vaporariorum by Encarsia formosa?

Biological control of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Homoptera Aleyrodidae) by Amitus fuscipennis (Hymenoptera Platygastridae) with or without Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera Aphelinidae) was tested in both a glasshouse and a plastic greenhouse during two consecutive production cycles of a beef tomato crop on the Bogotá Plateau in Colombia. The mean temperature was around 16 °C in the plastic greenhouse and around 17 °C in the glasshouse. A. fuscipennis was introduced at a rate of 5 pupae per m2 per week during the first 13 weeks of the first cycle. During the second cycle, 2.5 pupae of both E. formosa and A. fuscipennis per m2 per week were introduced during the first 13 weeks. During the first cycle, control was obtained for 5 months in the plastic greenhouse and 3 months in the glasshouse, after which the population of T. vaporariorum adults increased to a maximum of 50 adults per plant. Parasitism was initially higher than 80% but then decreased to 56% in the plastic greenhouse and to 20% in the glasshouse. During the second cycle, biological control was successful in both greenhouses. Populations of T. vaporariorum were lower than 1.2 adults per plant and parasitism, caused mainly by E. formosa, was near 90% most of the time. Therefore, E. formosa is recommended to keep populations of T. vaporariorum at low levels in unheated greenhouses on the Bogotá Plateau. When high populations of T. vaporariorum are to be expected or control of high-density spots is required, A. fuscipennis could be a beneficial addition to E. formosa

Biological control of Trialeurodes vaporariorum by Encarsia formosa on tomato in unheated greenhouses in the high altitude tropics

Biological control of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) by Encarsia formosa Gahan was tested during three consecutive production cycles (16-28 weeks) on a beef tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) crop in a glasshouse and a plastic greenhouse on the Bogota Plateau in Colombia. During the course of this study over the period 1997-1999, the mean temperature was around 16 °C in the plastic greenhouse and around 17 °C in the glasshouse. E. formosa was introduced at a rate of 3 adults per m2 per week in the 1997 production cycle, and at a rate of 3 and 5 pupae per m2 per week in 1998 and 1999, respectively. In 1997, the adult whitefly population increased exponentially to a peak of 76 adults per plant in the plastic greenhouse, while the whitefly population in the glasshouse reached a peak of only 12 adults per plant. The percentage parasitism fluctuated between 42 and 82% in the glasshouse and between 28 and 47% in the plastic greenhouse. In 1998, the T. vaporariorum population could not be brought under control in both greenhouses and reached a peak of 80 and 53 T. vaporariorum adults per plant in the plastic greenhouse and the glasshouse, respectively. Parasitism fluctuated between 55 and 97% in the glasshouse and between 32 and 84% in the plastic greenhouse. In 1999, biological control was successful in both greenhouses. Most of the time, populations of T. vaporariorum were lower than 1.2 adults per plant and parasitism by E. formosa was 80% or higher. We suggest that the higher temperature is the main reason for better parasitism in the glasshouse when compared to the plastic greenhouse. The successful results of 1999 show that biological control is possible under the short day and low temperature conditions of greenhouses situated in the high altitude tropics such as the Bogota Plateau. Recommendations are given for the application of E. formosa based on the results of these experiments

Comparison of foraging behavior, interspecific host discrimination, and competition of Encarsia formosa and Amitus fuscipennis

The foraging behavior of Amitus fuscipennis MacGown & Nebeker and Encarsia formosa Gahan was studied on tomato leaflets with 20 Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) larvae in the first or third stage. Ten of the whitefly larvae were previously parasitized and contained a conspecific or a heterospecific parasitoid egg or larva. The host type (host stage and/or previous parasitization) did not influence the foraging behavior of either parasitoid species. The residence time on these tomato leaflets was about 0.9 h for A. fuscipennis and 1.9 h for E. formosa. Amitus fuscipennis hardly stood still and fed little, while E. formosa showed extensive standing still and feeding. As a result, the time walking while drumming was similar for both parasitoid species. The numbers of host encounters and ovipositions per leaflet were similar for both parasitoid species. However, the residence time of A. fuscipennis was half as long as that of E. formosa so the rate of encounters and ovipositions was higher for A. fuscipennis. Amitus fuscipennis is more efficient in finding and parasitizing hosts under these conditions. The walking activity and host acceptance of the synovigenic E. formosa diminished with the number of ovipositions, but not those of the proovigenic A. fuscipennis. Encarsia formosa is egg limited, while A. fuscipennis is time limited because of its short life span and high egg load. Both parasitoid species discriminated well between unparasitized larvae and self-parasitized larvae, but discriminated poorly those larvae parasitized by a conspecific and did not discriminate larvae parasitized by a heterospecific. Self-superparasitism, conspecific superparasitism, and multiparasitism were observed for both parasitoid species. Superparasitism always resulted in the emergence of one parasitoid and multiparasitism resulted in a higher emergence of one parasitoid of the species that had parasitized first. The data suggest that A. fuscipennis is a good candidate for use in biological control of high-density spots of T. vaporariorum when we consider its high encounter and oviposition rate

Life history of Amitus fuscipennis (Hym., Platygastridae) as parasitoid of the greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Hom., Aleyrodidae) on tomato as function of temperature

Life history parameters of Amitus fuscipennis MacGown and Nebeker as parasitoid of Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) were determined at 15, 20, 25 and 30°C on tomato using three different methods. For each method, immature development, mortality, longevity, fecundity, oviposition frequency and post-oviposition period were determined and temperature-dependent relations were estimated. Oviposition frequency was also estimated as a function of parasitoid age. Immature development had a maximum of 61 days at 15°C that decreased to 22 days at 30°C. Mortality in the grey stage was less than 2% at temperatures lower than 30°C, where it was 60%. Longevity fluctuated between 3 and 18 days. Fecundity increased from 338 eggs/female at 15°C to a maximum of 430 eggs/female at 25°C and then decreased to 119 eggs/female at 30°C. Oviposition frequency varied between 3 and 46 eggs/female per day and had its maximum on the first day after emergence of the parasitoid. Net reproduction rate, generation time and intrinsic rate of increase were calculated. The intrinsic rate of increase increased from 0.090 at 15°C to a maximum of 0.233 at 25°C and then decreased to 0.159 at 30°C. The influence of the methods to determine the life history parameters on the results is discussed. The results are compared also with the life history of Encarsia formosa Gahan (Hym., Aphelinidae) a parasitoid of the same host. The advantages and disadvantages of the pro-ovigenic A. fuscipennis in comparison with the synovigenic E. formosa are discussed

Comparison of foraging behavior, interspecific host discrimination, and competition of Encarsia formosa and Amitus fuscipennis

The foraging behavior of Amitus fuscipennis MacGown & Nebeker and Encarsia formosa Gahan was studied on tomato leaflets with 20 Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood) larvae in the first or third stage. Ten of the whitefly larvae were previously parasitized and contained a conspecific or a heterospecific parasitoid egg or larva. The host type (host stage and/or previous parasitization) did not influence the foraging behavior of either parasitoid species. The residence time on these tomato leaflets was about 0.9 h for A. fuscipennis and 1.9 h for E. formosa. Amitus fuscipennis hardly stood still and fed little, while E. formosa showed extensive standing still and feeding. As a result, the time walking while drumming was similar for both parasitoid species. The numbers of host encounters and ovipositions per leaflet were similar for both parasitoid species. However, the residence time of A. fuscipennis was half as long as that of E. formosa so the rate of encounters and ovipositions was higher for A. fuscipennis. Amitus fuscipennis is more efficient in finding and parasitizing hosts under these conditions. The walking activity and host acceptance of the synovigenic E. formosa diminished with the number of ovipositions, but not those of the proovigenic A. fuscipennis. Encarsia formosa is egg limited, while A. fuscipennis is time limited because of its short life span and high egg load. Both parasitoid species discriminated well between unparasitized larvae and self-parasitized larvae, but discriminated poorly those larvae parasitized by a conspecific and did not discriminate larvae parasitized by a heterospecific. Self-superparasitism, conspecific superparasitism, and multiparasitism were observed for both parasitoid species. Superparasitism always resulted in the emergence of one parasitoid and multiparasitism resulted in a higher emergence of one parasitoid of the species that had parasitized first. The data suggest that A. fuscipennis is a good candidate for use in biological control of high-density spots of T. vaporariorum when we consider its high encounter and oviposition rate

Ácaros predadores associados ao ácaro-da-erinose da lichia

O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar ácaros predadores em plantas de lichia e correlacionar o desenvolvimento populacional dessas espécies com o do ácaro-da-erinose da lichia, Aceria litchii. A pesquisa foi desenvolvida no Município de Casa Branca, SP, com árvores adultas, de 12 anos de idade, da variedade Bengal. Mensalmente, de agosto de 2008 a setembro de 2009, foram coletadas folhas para avaliação dos níveis populacionais de A. litchii e de ácaros predadores. Foram registrados 6.557 indivíduos da família Phytoseiidae. A espécie mais abundante foi Amblyseius compositus (42,6%), seguida por Phytoseius intermedius (31,2%), Euseius concordis (14,1%), Amblyseius herbicolus (8,8%) e Iphiseiodes zuluagai (3,3%). O desenvolvimento populacional de A. compositus, E. concordis e I. zuluagai correlacionou-se positivamente com o de Aceria litchii, o que indica relação de predação