Chilies are being increasingly favored worldwide, with an increasing growing area. As limited information is available about the population dynamic of arthropod communities in chilies under field ...conditions, the aim of our survey was to observe aphids and their natural enemies under various agrotechnological factors to improve IPM for chilies. The Yellow Scotch Bonnet (YSB) and Trinidad Scorpion Butch T (TSBT) chili varieties were investigated. Two plant spacings (30 vs. 40 and 40 vs. 60 cm in YSB and TSBT, respectively) and two watering rates (40 min/day; 20 min every second day) were applied with three replicates. Ten plants per plot/date were checked visually from July to September each year. In 2019, significantly more Chrysopidae eggs and significantly fewer Coccinellidae eggs were found under less watering. The number of Chrysopidae larvae and Coccinellidae pupae and larvae was significantly higher, whereas that of Chrysopidae eggs and Thomisidae individuals was significantly lower in the less-irrigated plots in 2021. In the same year, significantly more Coccinellidae adults were detected in the TSBT cultivar, and the number of Chrysopidae eggs and larvae and Coccinellidae pupae was significantly lower under decreased plant spacing. Predators preferred plots with an increased plant distance and plants with higher aphid pressure.
Chilies are plants that are becoming increasingly popular all over the world, including in Hungary. Since little is known about the abundance and seasonal dynamic of insect pests and their natural ...enemies associated with chilies under Hungarian climatic conditions, the aim of the study was to monitor these organisms on different varieties under different growing conditions to provide data for improving IPM for chilies. Chili varieties “Yellow Scotch Bonnet” (YSB) and “Trinidad Scorpion Butch T” (TSBT) were planted with three replicates. Two different plant-to-plant distances (30 vs. 40 and 40 vs. 60 cm in YSB, TSBT, respectively) and two different irrigation frequencies (daily, 40 min; every second day, 20 min) were used. Fifty flowers/plot/date were collected. In 2019, Orius (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) larvae, and in 2021, phytophagous thrips larvae were dominant in all the treatments. Significantly more Orius adults and larvae were found in the YSB than in the TSBT variety and the number of Aeolothrips and phytophagous thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) adults was significantly higher under less irrigation in 2019. The plant spacing did not affect the abundance of predators or herbivores. Upon comparing the two years, no effect of the treatments on the studied insect taxa was observed.
There is concern that genetically modified (GM) plants may have adverse affects on the arthropod biodiversity comprising agricultural landscapes. The present study report on a two year field ...experimental test of whether four different genotypic lines, some are novel with no previous field tests, of GM maize hybrids alter the structure of arthropod food webs that they harbour, relative to non-GM maize (control) that is widely used in agriculture. The different GM genotypes produced either Bt toxins, conferred glyphosate tolerance or a combination of the two traits. Quantitative food web analysis, based on short-term assessment assigning a total of 243,896 arthropod individuals collected from the treatments to their positions in food webs, revealed that complex and stable food webs persisted in each maize treatment. Moreover, food web structure remained relatively unchanged by the GM-genotype. The results suggest that at least in short-term period these particular GM maize genotypes will not have adverse effects on arthropod biota of agricultural landscapes.
Flea beetles (Chrysomelidae, Alticinae) were collected with Pherocon AM yellow sticky traps in maize plots to compare the assemblages from transgenic Bt- (genetic event MON810, producing Cry1Ab ...protein effective against lepidopteran pests) and near isogenic maize in Hungary. Altogether, 51,348 flea beetle individuals from 26 species were collected. The dominant species were Phyllotreta atra (F.) and Phyllotreta vittula (Redtenbacher). Their abundances along with other (non-P. atra and non-P. vittula) flea beetle species showed no significant differences between Bt- and isogenic maize plots. Similarly, no difference was found between Bt maize and isogenic maize plots in the species richness of the flea beetle assemblages.
•Altogether 26 flea beetle species were collected in Bt and isogenic maize.•Phyllotreta atra and Phyllotreta vittula were the dominant species in both maize hybrids.•Flea beetle abundance in Bt- (MON810) and near isogenic maize showed no difference.•Species richness of flea beetle assemblages in the two maize hybrids was similar.
The North American oak lace bug feeds on leaves of ‘white oaks” in its native range. In Europe, it was first discovered in northern Italy in 2000. In recent years, it has subsequently spread rapidly ...and population outbreaks have been observed in several European countries. In the present study, we summarize the steps of its expansion.
To predict its potential host range, we checked 48 oak species in 20 sentinel gardens in seven countries between 2013 and 2018.
In total, 27 oak species were recorded as suitable hosts; 13 of them are globally new ones, 23 out of the 29 in section Quercus (∼ white oaks, an intrageneric taxonomic unit within genus Quercus), including Asian oaks, native to Japan, Korea and China, and four out of five in section Cerris (another intrageneric unit of the same genus), were accepted as hosts. None of the species in section Lobatae (red oaks) or in the Ilex group was accepted.
Host records were also collected in forest stands of 10 countries. We found 11 oak species that were infested. Outbreak populations were most commonly found on Quercus robur, Quercus frainetto, Quercus petraea and Quercus cerris, comprising widespread and outstandingly important oaks species in Europe.
Based on our findings, we conclude that suitable hosts for oak lace bug are present in most of Europe and Asia. This means that a lack of hosts will likely not restrict further range expansion.
Field experiments were conducted to investigate the mechanism of the underlying patterns (abundance, species richness, diversity and similarity) of rove beetles in transgenic Bt (MON810) and in near ...isogenic maize stands in Hungary. During the three-year (2001–2003) survey, 1538 individuals and 21 species were sampled with pitfall traps. The
Cry1Ab protein expressed by the MON810 maize hybrid did not influence the overall community structure. After grouping staphylinids into guilds we found no significant differences for non-aphidophagous predators and parasitoids, whereas there were significantly and marginally significantly higher abundances for predators with aphids in their diet in isogenic maize stands in 2002 and 2003 respectively. The abundance of the prey
Rhopalosiphum padi (L.) showed a high fluctuation between stands and years and was numerically higher only in isogenic stands in the second half of the maize-growing season. The abundance of predatory guilds including aphids in their diet did not correlate with the total annual number of
R. padi in the same year, but there was a linear correlation in successive years.
Arthropods from four genetically modified (GM) maize hybrids (coleopteran resistant, coleopteran and lepidopteran resistant, lepidopteran resistant+herbicide tolerant and coleopteran resistant and ...herbicide tolerant) and non-GM varieties were sampled during a two-year field assessment. A total number of 363 555 arthropod individuals were collected. This represents the most comprehensive arthropod dataset from GM maize, and together with weed data, is reasonable to determine functional groups of arthropods and interactions between species. Trophic groups identified from both phytophagous and predatory arthropods were previously considered non-target organisms on which possible detrimental effects of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins may have been directly (phytophagous species) or indirectly (predators) detected. The high number of individuals and species and their dynamics through the maize growing season can predict that interactions are highly correlational, and can thus be considered a useful tool to assess potential deleterious effects of Bt toxins on non-target organisms, serving to develop biosafety risk hypotheses for invertebrates exposed to GM maize plants.
The present study reports the first occurrence and flight period of three species, namely Scolothrips tenuipennis zur Strassen 1965, Frankliniella schultzei Trybom, 1910 and Zurstrassenia figuratus ...zur Strassen, 1968 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), in Hungary. A fourth, undescribed species belonging to the genus Caliothrips was also captured.
The distribution area of these species is North Africa and it is hypothesized that they are transported to Hungary via long‐distance air currents.
Data for a suction trap are examined in South–East Hungary, in the 3‐year period 2002–2004 from May to September. A three‐dimensional back‐trajectory analysis based on the Hybrid Single‐Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) transport and dispersion model was performed for the observation days to determine the origin and path of air masses and evaluate of the possibility of long‐distance transport of thrips species.
Surprisingly, the analysis showed that only a few percent of the back trajectories originated or passed over North Africa. The results suggest that the captured thrips species could survive long‐distance transport at low‐level trajectories and establish new populations in Western Europe, the eastern part of Europe and Northern Central Europe, which together serve as source areas for the long‐range transport of thrips to the target station.
Four genetically modified (GM) maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids (coleopteran resistant, coleopteran and lepidopteran resistant, lepidopteran resistant and herbicide tolerant, coleopteran and herbicide ...tolerant) and its non‐GM control maize stands were tested to compare the functional diversity of arthropods and to determine whether genetic modifications alter the structure of arthropods food webs. A total number of 399,239 arthropod individuals were used for analyses. The trophic groups’ number and the links between them indicated that neither the higher magnitude of Bt toxins (included resistance against insect, and against both insects and glyphosate) nor the extra glyphosate treatment changed the structure of food webs. However, differences in the average trophic links/trophic groups were detected between GM and non‐GM food webs for herbivore groups and plants. Also, differences in characteristic path lengths between GM and non‐GM food webs for herbivores were observed. Food webs parameterized based on 2‐year in‐field assessments, and their properties can be considered a useful and simple tool to evaluate the effects of Bt toxins on non‐target organisms.
We report on a 2‐year field experimental test of whether different genotypic lines, of which some are novel with no previous field tests, of genetically modified (GM) maize hybrids alter the structure of arthropod food webs that they harbour, relative to non‐GM maize (control) that is widely used in agriculture. The food web analyses on GMO maize based on almost 400,000 arthropod individuals is a new approach to test the harmful effects of these plants.
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