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Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2021

Can Insectary Plants Enhance the Presence of Natural Enemies of the Green Peach Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Mediterranean Peach Orchards?

Aparicio, Yahana; Riudavets, Jordi; Gabarra, Rosa; Agusti, Nuria; Rodriguez-Gasol, Neus; Alins, Georgina; Blasco-Moreno, Anabel; Arno, Judit

Abstract

Conservation biological control could be an alternative to insecticides for the management of the aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer). To develop sustainable strategies for M. persicae control in peach orchards in the Mediterranean, a 2-yr field experiment was conducted to identify the key predators of the aphid; to determine whether the proximity of insectary plants boost natural enemies of M. persicae in comparison to the resident vegetation; and whether selected insectary plants enhance natural enemy populations in the margins of peach orchards. Aphidoletes aphidimyza Rondani (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) and Episyrphus balteatus De Geer (Diptera: Syrphidae) were the most abundant predators found among sentinel aphid colonies, accounting for 57% and 26%, respectively. Samplings during 2015 yielded twice as many hoverflies in M. persicae sentinel plants close to the insectary plants as those close to the resident vegetation. The abundance of other natural enemies in sentinel plants, depending on their proximity to the insectary plants, was not significantly different in either of the 2 yr. Hoverflies hovered more often over the insectary plants than over the resident vegetation and landed significantly more often on Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv., Moricandia arvensis (L.) DC., and Sinapis alba L. (Brassicales: Brassicaceae) than on Achillea millefollium L. (Asterales: Compositae). Parasitoids were significantly more abundant in L. maritima and A. millefollium. The vicinity of selected insectary plants to peach orchards could improve the presence of hoverflies, which might benefit the biological control of M. persicae.

Keywords

conservation biological control; agroecological infrastructure; insectary plant; parasitoid; predator

Published in

Journal of Economic Entomology
2021, Volume: 114, number: 2, pages: 784-793
Publisher: OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC

    Associated SLU-program

    SLU Plant Protection Network

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Agricultural Science
    Ecology

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaa298

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/112252