Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:46:25.208Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Parasitism of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) by Eretmocerus mundus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on cassava

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2008

M. Otim*
Affiliation:
National Crops Resources Research Institute, Namulonge, PO Box 7084, Kampala, Uganda
G. Kyalo
Affiliation:
National Crops Resources Research Institute, Namulonge, PO Box 7084, Kampala, Uganda
S. Kyamanywa
Affiliation:
Crop Science Department, Makerere University, PO Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda
P. Asiimwe
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Forbes 410, PO Box 2100 (36), Tucson, AZ 85721-0036, USA
J. P. Legg
Affiliation:
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture – Tanzania, PO Box 6226, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Natural Resources Institute, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, KentME4 4TB, United Kingdom
M. Guershon
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv69978, Israel
D. Gerling
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv69978, Israel
Get access

Abstract

Parasitism rates of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) and searching and oviposition behaviours of its parasitoid Eretmocerus mundus Mercet were compared on two cassava varieties: a glabrous variety, Nase 4 and a hirsute variety, MM97/0245 with c. 88 leaf hairs/cm2. Parasitism was assessed after potted plants of both varieties were exposed in open fields to natural infestation by B. tabaci and its natural enemy. For the behavioural studies, naive, less than 24-h-old females were individually observed on infested cassava leaflets under a microscope for a maximum of 1 h each. The different foraging behaviours were recorded using the computer software ‘The Observer 5.0’ (Noldus Ltd, Wageningen, The Netherlands). Total per cent parasitism and parasitism by E. mundus did not differ significantly between varieties. Upon encounter with leaf hairs, the parasitoids stopped and groomed before resuming the host search. The frequency of repeat probing, host feeding and antennation after probing and host feeding were higher on the glabrous than on the hirsute variety, while the converse was observed when feeding on liquids on the leaf. The duration of host assessment, initial probing, grooming and resting on the leaf was higher on the glabrous than on the hirsute variety. Leaf hairiness at the density investigated caused some changes in the behaviour of the parasitoids, but did not have an overall effect on field parasitism. Since cassava is generally considered to have glabrous leaves and the variety MM97/0245 is one of the most hirsute varieties, we discount leaf hairiness as a factor in determining levels of parasitoid activity.

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alicai, T., Omongo, C. A., Maruthi, M. N., Hillocks, R. J., Baguma, Y., Kawuki, R., Bua, A., Otim-Nape, G. W. and Colvin, J. (2007) Re-emergence of cassava brown streak disease in Uganda. Plant Disease 91, 2429.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anonymous (1994) Cassava Growers' Guide. Agricultural Communication Centre, National Agricultural Research Organization, Entebbe. 18 pp.Google Scholar
Asiimwe, P., Ecaat, J. S., Otim, M., Gerling, D., Kyamanywa, S. and Legg, J. P. (2007) Life-table analysis of mortality factors affecting populations of Bemisia tabaci on cassava in Uganda. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 122, 3744.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fauquet, C. and Beachy, R. N. (1989) Cassava Viruses and Genetic Engineering. International Cassava Trans Project. Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Luis. 30 pp.Google Scholar
Flanders, S. E. (1935) An apparent correlation between the feeding habits of certain pteromalids and the condition of the ovarian follicles. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 28, 438444.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foltyn, S. and Gerling, D. (1985) The parasitoids of the aleyrodid Bemisia tabaci in Israel: development, host preference and discrimination of the aphelinid wasp Eretmocerus mundus. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 38, 255260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
GenStat (2007) GenStat for Windows. Release 7.2 DE Discovery Edition. VSN.Google Scholar
Gerling, D. (1990) Natural enemies of whitefly: predators and parasitoids, pp. 147185. In Whitefly: Their Bionomics, Pest Status and Management (Edited by Gerling, D.). Intercept, Andover, Hants, UK.Google Scholar
Gerling, D., Alomar, O. and Arnó, J. (2001) Biological control of Bemisia tabaci using predators and parasitoids. Crop Protection 20, 779799.Google Scholar
Headrick, D. H., Bellows, T. S. and Perring, T. M. (1995) Behaviours of female Eretmocerus sp. nr. californicus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) attacking Bemisia argentifolii (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on sweet potato. Environmental Entomology 24, 412422.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Headrick, D. H., Bellows, T. S. and Perring, T. M. (1996a) Host-plant effects on the behaviour of Eretmocerus sp. nr. californicus raised from melon. Entomophaga 41, 1526.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Headrick, D. H., Bellows, T. S. Jr. and Perring, T. M. (1996b) Behaviours of female Eretmocerus sp. nr. californicus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on cotton, Gossypium hirsutum (Malvaceae) and melon, Cucumis melo (Cucurbitaceae). Biological Control 6, 6775.Google Scholar
Legg, J. P., Mallowa, S. and Sseruwagi, P. (2003) First report of physical damage to cassava caused by the whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae). Book of Abstracts, 3rd International Bemisia Workshop, 17–20 March 2003. p. 41. Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries, Barcelona, Spain.Google Scholar
McAuslane, H. J. and Nguyen, R. (1996) Reproductive behaviour and biology of a thelytokous species of Eretmocerus (Hymenoptera: Aleyrodidae) parasitizing Bemisia argentifolii. Annals of Entomological Society of America 89, 686693.Google Scholar
McAuslane, H. J., Johnson, F. A., Colvin, D. L. and Sojack, B. (1995) Influence of foliar pubescence on incidence and parasitism of Bemisia argentifolii (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on soybean and peanut. Environmental Entomology 24, 11351143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maruthi, M. N., Hillocks, R. J., Mtunda, K., Raya, M. D., Muhanna, M., Kiozia, H., Rekha, A. R., Colvin, J. and Thresh, J. M. (2005) Transmission of cassava brown streak virus by Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius): progress and problems. Journal of Phytopathology 152, 307312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Noldus Information Technology (2003) Professional Software for Collection and Analysis of Observational Data. Wageningen, The Netherlands.Google Scholar
Oliveira, M. R. V., Henneberry, T. J. and Anderson, P. K. (2001) History, current status and collaborative research projects for Bemisia tabaci. Crop Protection 20, 709723.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Otim, M. (2007) The distribution, biology and behaviour of the major natural enemies of Bemisia tabaci on cassava in Uganda. PhD Thesis. 114 pp.Google Scholar
Otim, M., Legg, J. P., Kyamanywa, S., Polaszek, A. and Gerling, D. (2005) Occurrence and activity of Bemisia tabaci parasitoids on cassava in different agro-ecologies in Uganda. Biocontrol 50, 8795.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Otim, M., Legg, J. P., Kyamanywa, S., Polaszek, A. and Gerling, D. (2006) Population dynamics of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) parasitoids on cassava mosaic disease resistant and susceptible varieties. Biocontrol Science and Technology 16, 201214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Price, P. W., Bouton, C. E., Gross, P., Mcpheron, B. A., Thompson, J. N. and Weis, A. E. (1980) Interactions among three trophic levels: influence of plants on interactions between insect herbivores and natural enemies. Annual Review of Ecological Systems 11, 4165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rajam, B., Peter, C. and David, B. V. (1988) Influence of host plants on the parasitism of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) by Encarsia sp. Current Science 57, 12461247.Google Scholar
Thresh, J. M., Otim-Nape, G. W., Legg, J. P. and Fargette, D. (1997) African cassava mosaic disease: the magnitude of the problem. African Journal of Root and Tuber Crops 2(1), 1319.Google Scholar
van Lenteren, J. C., Li, Z. H., Kamerman, J. W. and Rumei, X. (1995) The parasite-host relationship of Encarsia formosa (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) and Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). XXVI. Leaf hairs reduce the capacity of Encarsia to control whitefly on cucumber. Journal of Applied Entomology 119, 553559.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Roermund, H. J. W. and van Lenteren, J. C. (1995) Residence times of the whitefly parasitoid Encarsia formosa Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on tomato leaflets. Journal of Applied Entomology 119, 465471.CrossRefGoogle Scholar