| Title: | Keep Your Eggs Away: Ant Presence Reduces Ceratitis capitata Oviposition Behaviour through Trait-Mediated Indirect Interactions |
| Author(s): | Smargiassi S; Masoni A; Frizzi F; Balzani P; Desiato E; Benelli G; Canale A; Santini G; |
| Address: | "Department of Biology, University of Florence, 50121 Firenze, Italy. National Biodiversity Future Center, 90133 Palermo, Italy. South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Zatisi 728/II, 389 25 Vodnany, Czech Republic. Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 2075-4450 (Print) 2075-4450 (Electronic) 2075-4450 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Alternative methods to achieve sustainable agricultural production while reducing the use of chemical pesticides, such as biological control, are increasingly needed. The exploitation of trait-mediated indirect interactions (TMIIs), in which pests modify their behavior in response to some cues (e.g., pheromones and other semiochemicals) to avoid predation risk, may be a possible strategy. In this study, we tested the effect of TMIIs of two Mediterranean ant species, Crematogaster scutellaris and Tapinoma nigerrimum, on the oviposition behaviour of Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), one of the world's most economically damaging pests, which attacks fruits. For each ant species, we performed choice experiments using ant-scented and control plums, counting the time spent by medflies on fruits and the number of pupae emerging from them. Results of both ant species tests showed a significantly shorter time spent by ovipositing medflies on ant-exposed plums and a lower number of pupae, when compared to the control group. Our findings highlighted that the semiochemicals released by ants on plums triggered an avoidance behaviour by medfly females, leading to lower oviposition rates. This study contributes to the understanding of indirect ant-pest interactions in Mediterranean agricultural settings and points out the potential of utilising ant-borne semiochemicals in sustainable IPM strategies" |
| Keywords: | Mediterranean acrobat ant Tapinoma nigerrimum complex ant semiochemicals insect fruit pest medfly; |
| Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINESmargiassi, Stefania Masoni, Alberto Frizzi, Filippo Balzani, Paride Desiato, Elisa Benelli, Giovanni Canale, Angelo Santini, Giacomo eng Switzerland 2023/06/27 Insects. 2023 Jun 7; 14(6):532. doi: 10.3390/insects14060532" |
