Molecular Tools for the Detection and the Identification of Hymenoptera Parasitoids in Tortricid Fruit Pests.

Biological control requires specific tools for the accurate detection and identification of natural enemies in order to estimate variations in their abundance and their impact according to changes in environmental conditions or agricultural practices. Here, we developed two molecular methods of detection based on PCR-RFLP with universal primers and on PCR with specific primers to identify commonly occurring larval parasitoids of the tortricid fruit pests and to estimate parasitism in the codling moth. Both methods were designed based on DNA sequences of the COI mitochondrial gene for a range of parasitoids that emerged from Cydia pomonella and Grapholitamolesta caterpillars (102 parasitoids; nine species) and a range of potential tortricid hosts (40 moths; five species) damaging fruits. The PCR-RFLP method (digestion by AluI of a 482 bp COI fragment) was very powerful to identify parasitoid adults and their hosts, but failed to detect parasitoid larvae within eggs or within young C. pomonella caterpillars. The PCR method based on specific primers amplified COI fragments of different lengths (131 to 463 bp) for Ascogaster quadridentata (Braconidae); Pristomerusvulnerator (Ichneumonidae); Trichomma enecator (Ichneumonidae); and Perilampus tristis (Perilampidae), and demonstrated a higher level of sensibility than the PCR-RFLP method. Molecular estimations of parasitism levels in a natural C. pomonella population with the specific primers did not differ from traditional estimations based on caterpillar rearing (about 60% parasitism in a non-treated apple orchard). These PCR-based techniques provide information about within-host parasitoid assemblage in the codling moth and preliminary results on the larval parasitism of major tortricid fruit pests.

Biotic factors are more important than abiotic factors in regulating the abundance of Plutella xylostella L., in Southern Brazil

ABSTRACT The serious economic loss caused Plutella xylostella L., 1758 in several regions of the world has prompted a demand for alternative management strategies. In this context, understanding the key factors governing the population dynamics of the pest is important for development of management strategies. This study aimed to identify the larval parasitoids associated with P. xylostella and investigate the biotic (crop subspecies, plant age and parasitism) and abiotic factors (minimum and maximum temperatures, rainfall, relative humidity and planting season) affecting the population dynamics of the pest in organic crops located in Southern Paraná State, Brazil. Despite the continuous and abundant availability of host plants throughout the year, P. xylostella occurred between June and November, and the largest peaks of abundance were observed between August and September, when low temperatures and rainfall were recorded. According to the stepwise regression analysis, P. xylostella was more abundant in broccoli during winter. Neither temperature, nor rainfall significantly influenced pest abundance. Four species of larval parasitoids were identified associated with the pest, of which Diadegma leontiniae (Brèthes) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Apanteles piceotrichosus Blanchard (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Siphona sp. Meigen (Diptera: Tachinidae) were abundant, while Oomyzus sokolowskii (Kurdjumov) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was rarely found. Parasitism was the major factor influencing population dynamics of P. xylostella, contributing to 48% of the variation in pest abundance. These results show the importance of larval parasitoids complex in regulating P. xylostella population and that the temperature and rainfall recorded during field experiments did not influenced pest abundance.