read first parts (taxonomy) of chs 3 and 4) parasitoids and predators of insects · read first...

PARASITOIDS AND PREDATORS OF INSECTS

definitiontermsmain families

Read first parts (taxonomy) of Chs 3 and 4)

Important Families of Parasitoids

1. Scelionidae2. Encyrtidae3. Pteromalidae4. Braconidae5. Chalcididae6. Aphelinidae7. Eulophidae

8. Trichogrammatidae9. Mymaridae10. Ichneumonidae11. Aphidiidae

1. Tachinidae 2. Phoridae

DIPTERA

HYMENOPTERA

All eggs parasitoids

Here, a Telenomus species attacking cassava hornworm egg

#1HYMENOPTERA

Scelionidae

#2 HYMENOPTERA EncrytidaeAttack mealybugs and many others groups. Epidinocarsisdiversicornis host feeding on cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus herreni

Encrytidae Comperia merceti, a specialized parasitoid of brown banded cockroach egg cases

See use of antennae to investigate chemicals on surface of ooethecae

See ovipositor being inserted

Encyrtidae Tetrastichus julii, an introduced parasitoid of cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus

Sphegigaster sp.

# 3 HYMENOPTERA PteromalidaeParasitoids of many groups, including pupae, larvae of muscoid flies

# 4 HYMENTOPERA BraconidaeParasitoids of aphids, caterpillars, and for one subfamily, theEuphorinae, adult insects; here, the euphorine Microctonus

aethiopoides attacks an adult alfalfa weevil.

Note the point of oviposition

Gregarious parasitoidsLarvae of a gregarious braconid parasitoid emerging from a host

The braconid Cotesia rubecula The ichneumonid Diadema

insularis inside net bag of host

Solitary parasitoids (one progeny per host)

Hyperparasitismattack of one parasitoid on another.

Here, Conura torvinaoviposits into larvae of Costesia rubecula inside its cocoon.

Family feature is greatly enlarged hind femur

#5 HYMENOPTERA

Chalcididae

Chalcididae Brachymeria intermedia attacks a gypsy moth. This is a pupal parasitoid, an internal parasitoid and an idiobiont

See enlarged femur

Hypera postica, the alfalfa weevil, an invasive insect from Europe

#6 HYMENOPTERA Aphelinidae.

Host Feeding- Coccobius sp. female kills a host (CA red scale, Aonidiella aurantii) and drinks it fluids as a protein source.

Host FeedingAfter ovipositor insertion, the scale bleeds hemolymph

Hypera postica, the alfalfa weevil, an invasive insect from Europe

Host Feeding-Lunch is served, the female turns and drinks the host fluid from the scale

Aphelinidae Encarsia formosa, a whitefly parasitoid

#7 HYMENOPTERA EulophidaeSympiesis marylandensis, a native parasitoid of the apple blotch

leafminer (Phyllonorycter crataegella)

Host feeding– a killed larva of a Phyllonorycter leafmining gracillariid moth killed by the eulophid Sympiesis marylandensis

See dried host fluid bonding larva to upper skin of leaf mine (opened for photo)

Polyembryony- when one egg shakes apart into hundreds of clones and each develops as a separate, genetically identical larva.

mud dabber pupae parasitized by a chalcid

Two styles of parasitoidsIdiobionts• attack eggs, pupae or

adults, which cannot grow

• Also, external parasitoids, as these kill their hosts

• Internal pupal and adult parasitoids face immune counterattack, but external parasitoids and egg parasitoids do not.

Koinobionts• permit their hosts to

continue to grow after oviposition, increasing the resource for progeny

• Larval and nymphal parasitoids

• Must defeat host immune system

Koinobionts- larval or nymphal internal parasitoids

Pieris rapae larvae. The left one is parasitizied by an internal parasitoid, Cotesia rubecula.

See the white larva inside caterpillar

External parasitoids (here, the eulophid Sympiesis marylandensis on Phyllonorycter crataegella) are idiobionts,

but so are egg, pupal, and adult internal parasitoids

Parasitoid larva

Leafminer caterpillar

EncapsulationSome Epidinocarsis diversicornis eggs are encapsulated by its host

mealybug Phenacoccus herreni

See use of antennae to investigate the host

Dark bodies in host are encapsulated parasitoid eggs

#8 HYMENOPTERA TrichogrammatidaeTrichogramma minutum examining the eggs of spruce budworm

Note hairy wings, characteristics of many groups of minute insects

#9 HYMENOPTERA Mymaridae Anaphes flavipes, a parasitoid of cereal leaf beetle

Hypera postica, the alfalfa weevil, an invasive insect from Europe

# 10 HYMENOPTERA Ichneumonidae Campoplex frustrana, a parasitoid of Nantucket pine tip moth

Hypera postica, the alfalfa weevil, an invasive insect from Europe

IchneumonidaeDiadegma insulare, a parasitoid of larvae of diamondback moth

Hypera postica, the alfalfa weevil, an invasive insect from Europe

BraconidaeCotesia melanoscela, a parasitoid of gypsy moth larvae

Hypera postica, the alfalfa weevil, an invasive insect from Europe

BraconidaeCocoon of Cotesia melanoscela, a parasitoid of gypsy moth larvae

Hypera postica, the alfalfa weevil, an invasive insect from Europe

# 11 HYMENOPTERA AphidiidaeA group of braconids specialized as aphid parasitoids. See the

distinctive braconid oviposition stance.

Aphidiidae

Aphid parasitoids turn aphids into mummies. Upon emergence, mummies remain with distinctive parasitoid emergence holes

Hypera postica, the alfalfa weevil, an invasive insect from Europe

Chrysididae- social parasitoids of bee brood. Note the iridescence and heavily sculptured armor. They can roll up in a

defensive ball when attacked in a bees’ nest

Hypera postica, the alfalfa weevil, an invasive insect from Europe

Tiphiididae-parasitoids of scaraebiid larvae in soil

Visual hunters, tachinids respond to prey movement

#1 DIPTERA TachinidaeA large family of all parasitoids. Here, a species of Myopharus

investigating a Colorado potato beetle larva

Tachinidae-some lay large external eggs (here on tent caterpillar); others scatter small eggs on foliage; others larvaposit

egg

Tachinidae-fly larva emerged from a gypsy moth pupa

Puparia of tachinid

# 2 DIPTERA Phoridae- flies that attack ants

Phoridae- flies attack foraging ants, disrupting food collection

Phoridae- flies oviposit in the head of worker ants

Phoridae-as parasitoid larvae mature, the ant head comes off

Phoridae-larvae develop, pupate and emerge from the separated head, hence the name “decapitating flies”

Predator Orders/families1. Dermaptera2. Thysanoptera3. Hemiptera

(Anthocoridiae, Miridae, Nabidae, Lygaeidae, Pentatomidae)

4. Neuroptera (Chrysoptera, Conopterigidae)

5. Coleoptera (Coccinellidae, Carabidae,Staphylinidae, Histeridae,Cleridae)

6. Diptera (Cecidomyiidae, Syrphidae)

7. Hymenoptera (Formicidae)

8. Acari (Phytoseiidae, other mite familes)

9. Aranae (spiders-many families)

10. Snails 11. Vertebrates

Order #1 Dermaptera (earwigs)Minor predators of various soft bodied insects

Order #2Thysanoptera

(thrips)

A mostly herbivorous order with some

predaceous groups

Orius bugs, nymphs on left, adult on right

Order #3 Hemiptera (true bugs +Homoptera)Family Anthocoridae (minute pirate bugs)Important predators of thrips and other pests in field

crops and greenhouses

Hemiptera: Anthocoridae: Orius nymph feeding on an aphid

Hemiptera: Miridae:predaceous plant bug feeding on an lacebug

Hemiptera: Nabidae: feeding on aphid

(Hemiptera: Lygaeidae)big-eyed bug (Geocoris)

feeding on whitefly

Hemiptera: Pentatomidae: Podisus sp., stinkbug feeding on larva of Colorado potato beetle

Order #4 Neuroptera: ChrysopidaeChrysoperla larvae eating an aphid

Green lacewing eggs are supported on stocks to reduced egg consumption by early hatching larvae

Neuroptera:Hemerobiidae

Brown lacewings are smaller but with similar

habits to green lacewings, except that

they are found in wooded areas.

Order #5 Coleoptera (beetles)Family Coccinellidae (Ladybird beetles) A large family (ca 700

species in North America) with predacious adults and larvae, usually either of interest in relation to aphids or scales as target pests

Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: ladybird beetle larvae and aphids

Coleoptera: Carabidae: ground beetle adults and larvae are usually generalist ground-dwelling predators

Coleoptera: Carabidae: larvae are also predaceous

Coleoptera: Staphylinidae

another family of ground dwelling generalist

predators

Note wings do not cover abdomen

Coleoptera: Histeridae: Teretrius nigrescens (left), released in Africa for control of

larger grain borer, Prostephanus truncatus (right)

Coleoptera: Cleridae: predators of bark beetle larvae

Note scale patterns on elytra. Don’t confuse with Dermestidae

Order #6 DipteraFamily Cecidomyiidae: predaceous midge adult (larvae only

are predators, or aphids and mites)

Diptera: Cecidomyiidaepredaceous midge larvae with aphid prey

Diptera: SyrphidaeLarvae are predaceous, mostly on aphid prey

Diptera: SyphidaeEgg of syphid fly

Diptera: SyrphidaeLarvae are predaceous, mostly on aphid prey

Order #7 HymenopteraFormicidae (ants)Ants are numerous as species and individuals, forage aggressively and many are predaceous

Hymenoptera: VespidaeWasps, hornets, yellow jackets forage for prey to feed their young. Some are social, others are solitary but may nest in aggregations

Group #8 Acari (mites)Family Phytoseiidae. Predaceous mites are predaceous.

(here, Amblyseius sp.) are important for mite control.

Group #9 Snails

Some snails are predators of herbivorous snails, but many

are generalist and may be dangerous to move more to new areas, as attack many occur on nontarget native snails. Here,

the snail Rumina decollataattacks the brown garden snail,

Helix aspersa, in California

Group #10 Spiders

Spiders are generalists, selecting prey by size and habitat

Group #11 Vertebrates-(bird, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians)

No vertebrates should be introduced to areas outside their historical range, as non target impacts are likely due to flexible feeding behavior. Some species, such as this BARN OWLmay be usefully conserved by habitat or nest box manipulation to increase predation locally where desired