| Title: | Honeydew Is a Food Source and a Contact Kairomone for Aphelinus mali |
| Author(s): | Penalver-Cruz A; Satour P; Jaloux B; Lavandero B; |
| Address: | "Instituto de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agroalimentaria (IRTA)-Campus de la Escola Tecnica Superior d'Enginyeria Agraria (ETSEA), Proteccio Vegetal Sostenible, Av. Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain. IRHS, INRAE, Institut Agro, Universite d'Angers, 49071 Beaucouze, France. IGEPP, INRAE, Institut Agro, Universite de Rennes, 49000 Angers, France. Laboratorio de Control Biologico, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad de Talca, Talca 3465548, Chile" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2075-4450 (Print) 2075-4450 (Electronic) 2075-4450 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Many parasitoids need to feed on sugar sources at the adult stage. Although nectar has been proven to be a source of higher nutritional quality compared to honeydew excreted by phloem feeders, the latter can provide the necessary carbohydrates for parasitoids and increase their longevity, fecundity and host searching time. Honeydew is not only a trophic resource for parasitoids, but it can also constitute an olfactory stimulus involved in host searching. In this study, we combined longevity measurements in the laboratory, olfactometry and feeding history inference of individuals caught in the field to test the hypothesis that honeydew excreted by the aphid Eriosoma lanigerum could serve as a trophic resource for its parasitoid Aphelinus mali as well as a kairomone used by the parasitoid to discover its hosts. Results indicate that honeydew increased longevity of A. mali females if water was provided. Water could be necessary to feed on this food source because of its viscosity and its coating by wax. The presence of honeydew allowed longer stinging events by A. mali on E. lanigerum. However, no preference towards honeydew was observed, when given the choice. The role of honeydew excreted by E. lanigerum on A. mali feeding and searching behavior to increase its efficiency as a biological control agent is discussed" |
| Keywords: | Eriosoma lanigerum biological control chemical cues parasitoids sugars; |
| Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINEPenalver-Cruz, Ainara Satour, Pascale Jaloux, Bruno Lavandero, Blas eng 3160233/Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Cientifico y Tecnologico (FONDECYT) Postdoctoral Grant/ Switzerland 2023/05/26 Insects. 2023 Apr 29; 14(5):426. doi: 10.3390/insects14050426" |
