Abstract
The use of nectar-providing plants to nourish natural enemies of pest species has become a widely-used approach in conservation biological control to reduce pest damage without the indiscriminate use of insecticides. Choice of plant species is crucial to maximize benefits, but suitable species are yet to be identified for many important crop-pest systems. Here we explored the suitability of three candidate nectar plants for use in brassica vegetables to suppress the globally significant pest, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), using the widely-distributed parasitoid, Cotesia vestalis (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Volatiles of alyssum (Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv) (Brassicaceae) were attractive to the parasitoid and access to flowering shoots increased adult longevity and realized fecundity of C. vestalis. Moreover, adult diamondback moth derived no benefit from this flower. In contrast, buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) (Polygonaceae), a species widely used in conservation biological control in other systems, increased the longevity and fecundity of both pest and parasitoid, rendering it less suitable. A third plant, heronsbill (Portulaca grandiflora Hook.) (Portulacaceae) denied benefit to the pest and promoted longevity of the parasitoid under no-choice conditions but did not improve fecundity and was repellent to female parasitoids under choice conditions. The contrasting effects of this set of plants illustrate the need to test multiple response variables and effects on both pest and natural enemy when seeking optimal nectar plants for use in a novel conservation biological control system.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Volatiles of alyssum were attractive to the parasitoid Cotesia vestalis.
- Taxon
- Lobularia maritima
Lobularia maritimat0 - Interactor
- Cotesia vestalisCotesia vestalise0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- attractive to the parasitoide1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)”
e0“using the widely-distributed parasitoid, Cotesia vestalis (Haliday)”
e1“Volatiles of alyssum (Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv) (Brassicaceae) were attractive to the parasitoid”
Claim · model-written summary
Access to alyssum flowering shoots increased adult longevity of Cotesia vestalis.
- Taxon
- Lobularia maritimaLobularia maritimat0
- Treatment
- access to flowering shootse2
- Interactor
- C. vestalisCotesia vestalise2biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- adult longevitye2
- Direction
- increasede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)”
e0“using the widely-distributed parasitoid, Cotesia vestalis (Haliday)”
e2“access to flowering shoots increased adult longevity and realized fecundity of C. vestalis”
Claim · model-written summary
Access to alyssum flowering shoots increased realized fecundity of Cotesia vestalis.
- Taxon
- Lobularia maritimaLobularia maritimat0
- Treatment
- access to flowering shootse2
- Interactor
- C. vestalisCotesia vestalise2biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- realized fecunditye2
- Direction
- increasede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)”
e0“using the widely-distributed parasitoid, Cotesia vestalis (Haliday)”
e2“access to flowering shoots increased adult longevity and realized fecundity of C. vestalis”
Claim · model-written summary
Adult diamondback moth derived no benefit from alyssum flowers.
- Taxon
- Lobularia maritimaLobularia maritimat0
- Interactor
- diamondback moth
Plutella xylostellae3pest - Outcome
- benefite3
- Direction
- no benefite3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)”
e0“to suppress the globally significant pest, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)”
e3“adult diamondback moth derived no benefit from this flower”
Claim · model-written summary
Buckwheat increased adult longevity of both the pest and the parasitoid.
- Taxon
- Fagopyrum esculentum
Fagopyrum esculentume4 - Treatment
- buckwheate4
- Interactor
- Plutella xylostellaPlutella xylostellae0pest
- Second interactor
- Cotesia vestalisCotesia vestalise0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- longevitye4
- Direction
- increasede4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)”
e0“to suppress the globally significant pest, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), using the widely-distributed parasitoid, Cotesia vestalis (Haliday)”
e4“buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) (Polygonaceae), a species widely used in conservation biological control in other systems, increased the longevity and fecundity of both pest and parasitoid, rendering it less suitable”
Claim · model-written summary
Buckwheat increased fecundity of both the pest and the parasitoid.
- Taxon
- Fagopyrum esculentumFagopyrum esculentume4
- Treatment
- buckwheate4
- Interactor
- Plutella xylostellaPlutella xylostellae0pest
- Second interactor
- Cotesia vestalisCotesia vestalise0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- fecunditye4
- Direction
- increasede4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)”
e0“to suppress the globally significant pest, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), using the widely-distributed parasitoid, Cotesia vestalis (Haliday)”
e4“buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) (Polygonaceae), a species widely used in conservation biological control in other systems, increased the longevity and fecundity of both pest and parasitoid, rendering it less suitable”
Claim · model-written summary
Heronsbill denied benefit to the pest.
- Taxon
- Portulaca grandiflora
Portulaca grandiflorae5 - Treatment
- heronsbille5
- Interactor
- Plutella xylostellaPlutella xylostellae0pest
- Outcome
- benefite5
- Direction
- deniede5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)”
e0“to suppress the globally significant pest, Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)”
e5“heronsbill (Portulaca grandiflora Hook.) (Portulacaceae) denied benefit to the pest and promoted longevity of the parasitoid under no-choice conditions but did not improve fecundity and was repellent to female parasitoids under choice conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Heronsbill promoted longevity of the parasitoid under no-choice conditions.
- Taxon
- Portulaca grandifloraPortulaca grandiflorae5
- Treatment
- heronsbille5
- Interactor
- Cotesia vestalisCotesia vestalise0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- longevitye5
- Direction
- promotede5
- Qualifier
- under no-choice conditionse5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)”
e0“using the widely-distributed parasitoid, Cotesia vestalis (Haliday)”
e5“heronsbill (Portulaca grandiflora Hook.) (Portulacaceae) denied benefit to the pest and promoted longevity of the parasitoid under no-choice conditions but did not improve fecundity and was repellent to female parasitoids under choice conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Heronsbill did not improve fecundity of the parasitoid.
- Taxon
- Portulaca grandifloraPortulaca grandiflorae5
- Treatment
- heronsbille5
- Interactor
- Cotesia vestalisCotesia vestalise0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- fecunditye5
- Direction
- did not improvee5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)”
e0“using the widely-distributed parasitoid, Cotesia vestalis (Haliday)”
e5“heronsbill (Portulaca grandiflora Hook.) (Portulacaceae) denied benefit to the pest and promoted longevity of the parasitoid under no-choice conditions but did not improve fecundity and was repellent to female parasitoids under choice conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Heronsbill was repellent to female parasitoids under choice conditions.
- Taxon
- Portulaca grandifloraPortulaca grandiflorae5
- Interactor
- Cotesia vestalisCotesia vestalise0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- repellent to female parasitoidse5
- Qualifier
- under choice conditionse5
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)”
e0“using the widely-distributed parasitoid, Cotesia vestalis (Haliday)”
e5“heronsbill (Portulaca grandiflora Hook.) (Portulacaceae) denied benefit to the pest and promoted longevity of the parasitoid under no-choice conditions but did not improve fecundity and was repellent to female parasitoids under choice conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Nectar plants should be tested on multiple response variables and on both pest and natural enemy.
Verbatim
e6“The contrasting effects of this set of plants illustrate the need to test multiple response variables and effects on both pest and natural enemy when seeking optimal nectar plants”