Conspecific and heterospecific behavior of Encarsia lutea, a heteronomous hyperparasitoid of Bemisia tabaci

Ön M., KARACA M. M., Arıkan B., KARUT K.

BioControl, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s10526-024-10296-9
  • Dergi Adı: BioControl
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Animal Behavior Abstracts, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), BIOSIS, Biotechnology Research Abstracts, CAB Abstracts, Geobase, Veterinary Science Database
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Bemisia tabaci, Conspecific, Encarsia lutea, Eretmocerus mundus, Heterospecific
  • Çukurova Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Encarsia lutea (Masi) and Eretmocerus mundus Mercet (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) are two of the most important parasitoid species of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in the Mediterranean. While E. mundus acts as a primary, solitary parasitoid of whitefly nymphs, E. lutea displays a heteronomous life cycle wherein females undergo development on the primary host (B. tabaci), while males complete development on the secondary host (Aphelinidae species) due to conspecific and heterospecific parasitism. This study evaluated the impact of mating status and host developmental stage (prepupa, early pupa, and late pupa) on host mortality and parasitism by E. lutea, utilizing B. tabaci as the primary host and E. lutea and E. mundus as secondary hosts. Conspecific and heterospecific behavior of E. lutea was examined in the presence or absence of the primary host B. tabaci, in both choice and no-choice experiments. Mated E. lutea females exhibited parasitism, while unmated individuals did not parasitize any third instar whitefly nymphs. Unmated E. lutea females consistently parasitized more conspecifics (E. lutea) than mated females at all pupal stages in both choice and no-choice experiments. Despite low parasitism levels, E. lutea females parasitized prepupal and early pupal individuals but avoided late pupal E. mundus. When B. tabaci, E. lutea, and E. mundus were presented together, both mated and unmated E. lutea females exhibited a higher preference for the conspecific. These findings suggest that native parasitoids such as E. lutea and E. mundus could effectively coexist in the natural biological control of B. tabaci in Mediterranean countries.