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Host preferences of Aphidius (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) populations parasitising pea and cereal aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Natasha B. Pungerl
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK

Abstract

Laboratory studies were carried out on different populations of Aphidius ervi Hal., A. picipes (Nees) and A. rhopalosiphi De Stef. collected in England from Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), Sitobion spp., Microlophium carnosum (Buckt.) and Metopolophium dirhodum (Wlk.). When mated females from each population were confined separately with 4–5 other species of these and other genera, each population varied in their host preferences, even though individual populations of each species were electrophoretically and morphometrically homogeneous. These host preferences differed in terms of fecundity. Different populations of Aphidius ervi exhibited markedly different host ranges. This behaviour is probably conditioned rather than inherited, and its significance to biological control is discussed. The results suggest a need to assess quantitatively the effect of temperature, host size and host species on the parasitoids' ability to control pest aphids.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

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