Trichogramma
species make up one of the most commonly used groups of natural enemies for biological control programs worldwide. Given the major successes in using
Trichogramma
to control economically ...important lepidopterous pests on agricultural crops in China, the biology and ecology of these wasps have been intensively studied to identify traits that contribute to successful biological control. Since the 1960s, improved mass production of
Trichogramma
and better augmentative release methods to suppress agricultural pests have been achieved. We review the history of research and development; current knowledge on biodiversity and bio-ecology of the species used; and achievements in mass-rearing methods, release strategies, and current large-scale applications in China. In addition, we discuss potential issues and challenges for
Trichogramma
research and applications in the future
.
Abstract
Improvements are needed in mosquito mass-rearing to effectively implement the sterile insect technique (SIT). However, managing this technique is challenging and resource intensive. SIT ...relies on mass rearing, sterilization, and release of adult males to reduce field populations. Maintaining an acceptable level of female presence, who can transmit viruses through biting, is crucial. Females are also essential for facility sustainability. Sex sorting plays a vital role in the production process, and our current mechanical sorting approach aims to obtain a high number of adult males with minimal female contamination within 24 h of pupation. Utilizing protandry helps control female contamination. While the 24-h sorting period achieves desired contamination levels, it may not yield enough females to sustain breeding lines, leading to increased labor costs that impact project sustainability. By delaying the sorting procedure to 48 h, we obtained sufficient females to sustain breeding lines, achieving a balance between male production and female contamination using the automatic version of the Fay–Morlan device as the sorting tool.
Tachinid parasitoids deserve to be better exploited as natural enemies of insect pests. The development of efficient mass‐rearing techniques for these entomophagous insects may encourage their use in ...biological control programs. Exorista larvarum (L.) (Diptera: Tachinidae) is a Palearctic species, which has been introduced in northern America for the control of the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.). The potential use of this polyphagous parasitoid of Lepidoptera against other forest and agricultural pests encourages research aimed at the improvement of techniques for its rearing, including protocols for storage at low temperature. This technology allows a certain degree of control over the speed of development of the stored insects and assists mass‐rearing facilities that have to match production with demand, especially during field outbreaks of pests. With the aim of developing storage protocols for E. larvarum, we investigated the effects of storage for 1–4 weeks of 1‐day‐old puparia at 15 °C. Lower temperatures (5 and 10 °C) and longer storage periods were excluded following the outcome of preliminary experiments. Parasitoid emergence and quality control parameters of the female flies obtained from the stored puparia were evaluated. In addition, female lipid body reserves were measured. The temperature of 15 °C proved to be suitable for all the durations tested, although some detrimental effects were observed following storage (e.g., lower longevity and fecundity). Our findings may prove useful to increase the flexibility of E. larvarum colony management.
With the aim of increasing the flexibility of Exorista larvarum (Diptera: Tachinidae) colony management, experiments were carried out to test low‐temperature storage of puparia. An extended developmental time was found, but also a quality reduction in some cases. Overall, cold storage proved useful for the purposes of this study.
Insects commonly rely on olfactory, gustatory and visual cues when deciding where to lay eggs. The olfactory cues that stimulate oviposition in the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) ...(Diptera: Tephritidae), are not well understood. Here, we show that two known oviposition stimulants of the Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae)—γ‐octalactone and benzothiazole—strongly elicit aggregation and oviposition in B. tryoni. Two other known oviposition stimulants of B. dorsalis—ethyl tiglate and 1‐octen‐3‐ol—elicit aggregation but not oviposition. Highlighting species overlap, but also differences, in oviposition stimulants, these findings have practical application for mass‐rearing in which vast numbers of flies are reared for sterile insect technique programs and may also have practical application in the development of pest management and monitoring tools.
The study aimed to evaluate different rearing media for mass production of rice moth Corcyra cephalonica Stainton (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), an important host insect for several bio-control agents. ...The development and reproductive performance of C. cephalonica was evaluated on six different combinations of rearing media containing maize, wheat, rice, jowar, ragi, sugar and groundnut. Results showed that the larval period, pupal period, adult emergence fecundity, adult longevity and fecundity were highest and true generation time was shortest in Diet VI (Wheat, yeast, groundnut). Hence, Diet VI is the most suitable rearing media for mass production of C. cephalonica.
Abstract
Wasps in the genus Sclerodermus are ectoparasitoids that typically attack the larvae of woodboring coleopterans. Interest in these species is increasing as they are used in programs to ...control longhorn beetle pests of economic importance in China and have invasive pest control potential in Europe. Wasps may be mass reared for field release, but using the target host species can be time consuming and physically demanding. There is thus a need for factitious hosts with lower production costs and that are easier to rear. The present research focuses on Sclerodermus brevicornis, which was found in Italy in association with the invasive longhorn beetle, Psacothea hilaris hilaris, and can be laboratory reared on this longhorn beetle and on a factitious lepidopteran host, Corcyra cephalonica. As it is known that the biology of natural enemies can be influenced by the host they emerge from and that the behavior of S. brevicornis is relatively complex due to its degree of sociality (multiple foundress females cooperate to paralyze the host and produce offspring communally), we explored whether, and how, performance and behavioral traits of adult females are influenced by the host species on which they were reared, both when no choice or a choice of current host species was offered. We evaluated the survival of foundresses and their movements between offered hosts and their tendency to form groups with other foundresses according to kinship and host characteristics. We also evaluated the production of offspring and the timing of their development. We found that S. brevicornis reared from C. cephalonica do have some disadvantages compared with those that have developed on P. h. hilaris but also that they recognize, prefer, and can reproduce on P. h. hilaris. We conclude that the use of the more convenient factitious host for mass-rearing is unlikely to greatly compromise the potential of S. brevicornis to suppress longhorn beetle pests in the field.
The sterile insect technique (SIT) has been widely used to suppress several fruit fly species. In southern Brazil, millions of sterile flies of the South American fruit fly, Anastrepha fraterculus ...Wiedemann (Dipetra: Tephritidae), will be produced in a mass‐rearing facility called MOSCASUL to suppress wild populations from commercial apple orchards. In spite of standard rearing conditions, the quality of pupal batches can be inconsistent due to various factors. The quantification of poor quality material (e.g. empty pupae, dead pupae or larvae) is necessary to track down rearing issues, and pupal samples must be taken randomly and evaluated individually. To speed up the inspection of pupal samples by replacing the manual testing with the mechanized one, this study assessed a multispectral imaging (MSI) system to distinguish the variations in quality of A. fraterculus pupae and to quantify the variations based on reflectance patterns. Image acquisition and analyses were performed by the VideometerLab4 system on 7‐d‐old pupae by using 19 wavelengths ranging from 375 to 970 nm. The image representing the near infrared wavelength of 880 nm clearly distinguished among high‐quality pupae and the other four classes (i.e. low‐quality pupae, empty pupae, dead pupae and larvae). The blind validation test indicated that the MSI system can classify the fruit fly pupae with high accuracy. Therefore, MSI‐based classification of A. fraterculus pupae can be used for future pupal quality assessments of fruit flies in mass‐rearing facilities.
Recent interest in the mass production of black soldier fly (BSF) larvae has resulted in many studies being generated. However, a majority of the studies are benchtop, or small-scale, experiments. ...Results generated from such studies may not translate to large-scale/industrial production. The current study was conducted at a conventional large-scale (10,000 larvae/treatment fed seven kg) to determine the impact on selected life-history traits when BSF were fed seven kg of manure (swine, dairy, or poultry) or a control diet (Gainesville diet: 50% wheat bran, 30% alfalfa meal, and 20% corn). Results showed larvae fed dairy manure took one to two days longer to develop to prepupation, with lower survivorship (45%) compared to those fed poultry or swine manure (>70%). Furthermore, the maximum larval weight was reached on day six for those fed swine manure, while other treatments achieved the maximum weight on day seven. However, larvae fed swine manure averaged 150 mg, while those fed the other diets ranged between 175 and 200 mg. Data from this study may be valuable for the industrialization of BSF. Companies using a scale varying from previously published work, including this study, should conduct pilot studies to optimize their system prior to implementation.
No neonates without adults Lemke, Noah B.; Dickerson, Amy Jean; Tomberlin, Jeffery K.
BioEssays,
January 2023, Letnik:
45, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
With the potential to process the world's agricultural and food waste, provide sustainable fodder for livestock, aquaculture, and pet animals, as well as act as a source of novel biomolecules, the ...black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, has been launched into the leading position within the insects as feed industry. Fulfilment of these goals, however, requires mass‐rearing facilities to have a steady supply of neonate larvae, which in‐turn requires an efficient mating process to yield fertile eggs; yet, little is known about adult reproductive behavior, nor what physiological factors lead to its emergence. Moreover, fertile egg production tends to be highly variable in colony. Therefore, this review brings together what is currently known of the organismal biology of H. illucens, compiling information on adult morphology, physiology, biogeography, genomics, and behavioral ecology. As a holistic synthesis, it highlights several directions of interest for research to follow.
The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, is mass‐reared globally for animal food and fertilizer. Over 1000 papers are published annually, but most are concerned with larvae and their applications. Hence, a plethora of opportunities exist to explore fundamental aspects of the species’ physiology, morphology, genomics, biogeography, ecology, and behavior.
The invasive tree Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth var stans (Bignoniaceae) has been targeted for biological control in South Africa since 2003. Plant nutrients contained in fertilizers typically ...improve host-plant quality, thereby enhancing the fitness of insect herbivores deployed as weed biocontrol agents. We investigated the effect of increasing nutrient levels (fertilizer treatments) on the growth of potted T. stans plants and on the subsequent performance of the root-feeding beetle Heikertingerella sp. (Chrysomelidae). Enhanced performance of Heikertingerella sp. in culture will improve mass-rearing initiatives for releases in South Africa. Ten newly emerged mating pairs of Heikertingerella sp. were exposed under glasshouse conditions to caged plants that were treated with four regimes of nitrogen: phosphorus: potassium 2:3:2 (14%) + carbon (8%) fertilizer, namely zero (control), low (5.6 g/m
2
), medium (9.4 g/m
2
) and high (13.2 g/m
2
). Increasing nutrient levels significantly increased leaf production and above - and below-ground biomass accumulation in T. stans plants. Similarly, the performance of Heikertingerella sp. was improved substantially, with significantly and progressively higher levels of P
1
adult feeding and F
1
progeny production, and significantly and progressively reduced F
1
developmental times, under increasing nutrient levels. While F
1
adult size was significantly increased by fertilizer application relative to the controls, there were no significant differences between the three nutrient levels. Although the high fertilizer application rates were the most suitable for the culturing and mass-rearing of Heikertingerella sp. adults, medium fertilizer applications may prove more economical to improve host-plant quality and boost beetle numbers for release.
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