Abstract

Hymenopterous parasitoids of herbivorous insects can be useful biocontrol agents in integrated pest management strategies. However, the potential effects on these beneficials of new components in such strategies are often neglected. Essential oil of lavender, Lavendula angustifolia (Miller) (Lamiaceae), has recently been identified as a potential repellent in new control strategies being developed for the pollen beetle Meligethes aeneus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae), a major pest of oilseed rape, Brassica napus L. (Brassicaceae). We tested the electrophysiological and behavioural responses of two common parasitoids of M. aeneus: Phradis interstitialis (Thomson) and P. morionellus (Holmgren) (both Ichneumonidae) using coupled gas chromatography-electroantennodetection (GC-EAD) and olfactometry techniques. Both species elicited electrophysiological responses to lavender oil volatiles, including two compounds known to be repellent to M. aeneus. However, the parasitoids gave no significant responses to the odours of lavender oil in behavioural bioassays and there was no evidence to suggest that lavender-treated oilseed rape plants would reduce host habitat location by parasitoids of the target pest

Published in

BioControl
2007, Volume: 52, number: 5, pages: 591-598
Publisher: SPRINGER

SLU Authors

• Anderson, Peter

  • Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Jönsson, Martin

  • Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science
Horticulture
Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-006-9057-x

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/15906