Abstract
Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is a solitary larval-pupal endoparasitoid of several fruit flies that has been introduced to many countries as biocontrol agent of tephritid pests. The species has been rearing in Italy under quarantine conditions to test its reliability in biological control programmes against fruit flies. Laboratory bioassays aimed at evaluating the behavioural response of D. longicaudata toward Bactrocera oleae infested or non infested olives have been carried out in the last two years. Data obtained through two different behavioural experiments demonstrated that the parasitoid can perceive olfactory and visual cues coming from fruits, especially from infested ones. In bioassays performed in arenas, naïve and experienced females were able to discriminate infested and non infested fruits showing also a noticeable ability in recognizing different fruit size by visual stimuli. Experiments conducted in Y-tube olfactometer revealed a remarkable response of naïve females to infested olives while experienced females preferred the pure air, showing a probable bias by the factitious host. Further research has to be planned in order to study other possible stimuli coming from the insect pest as well as from olive leaves and fruits. Moreover, additional bioassays should be performed on non-frugivorous tephritid flies before field releasing attempts, in order to avoid possible negative side effects.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
The parasitoid perceived olfactory and visual cues from olives, especially infested fruit.
- Interactor
- parasitoide0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- perceive olfactory and visual cues coming from fruitse0
OleaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the parasitoid can perceive olfactory and visual cues coming from fruits, especially from infested ones”
t0“olives”
Claim · model-written summary
Naive and experienced females discriminated infested from non-infested olives in arenas.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“naïve and experienced females were able to discriminate infested and non infested fruits”
t0“olives”
Claim · model-written summary
Females recognized fruit size by visual stimuli.
- Outcome
- recognizing different fruit size by visual stimulie0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a noticeable ability in recognizing different fruit size by visual stimuli”
t0“olives”
Claim · model-written summary
Naive females responded to infested olives in a Y-tube olfactometer.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a remarkable response of naïve females to infested olives”
t0“olives”
Claim · model-written summary
Experienced females preferred pure air in the olfactometer.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“experienced females preferred the pure air”
t0“olives”