Abstract
BACKGROUND: Tuta absoluta is an exotic species and a major pest of tomato crops in Europe. Macrolophus pygmaeus and Trichogramma achaeae are two biocontrol agents widely used in integrated pest management programs of the South American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta. In this study, we evaluated under laboratory conditions the (i) voracity of M. pygmaeus females fed on single diets of Tuta absoluta eggs parasitized or unparasitized by Trichogramma achaeae, (ii) voracity and feeding preference of M. pygmaeus females provided with mixed diets of Tuta absoluta eggs unparasitized and parasitized by Trichogramma achaeae and (iii) effect of competitive and intraguild interactions between M. pygmaeus and Trichogramma achaeae on the number of Tuta absoluta eggs consumed and/or parasitized. Lastly, we assessed under field conditions the effect of interspecific and intraspecific interactions between natural enemies on the number of Tuta absoluta eggs consumed and/or parasitized. RESULTS: Macrolophus pygmaeus consumed more unparasitized than parasitized eggs of Tuta absoluta. Under mixed diet regimes, Manly indices revealed a feeding preference for unparasitized eggs, and a decrease in the total number of eggs consumed, as the proportion of available parasitized eggs increased, whereas the unparasitized eggs were consumed in direct proportion to their availability. Conspecific interactions between M. pygmaeus, in contrast to Trichogramma achaeae, revealed the possible occurrence of intraspecific competition. For intraguild heterospecific interactions, the number of Tuta absoluta eggs consumed by M. pygmaeus and parasitized by Trichogramma achaeae was lower than that predicted for additive and non-interactive scenarios. Under field conditions, a significant difference between the conspecific treatment and heterospecific treatments revealed a slightly higher success rate in controlling Tuta absoluta when both M. pygmaeus and Trichogramma achaeae were used simultaneously. CONCLUSION: Macrolophus pygmaeus prefers unparasitized eggs of Tuta absoluta but inflicts intraguild predation on Trichogramma achaeae. In conspecific experiments, mutual interference between M. pygmaeus predators intensifies as the number of individuals increases, but for Trichogramma achaeae, it occurs in an unpredictable manner. Adding Trichogramma achaeae could significantly increase the level of control of Tuta absoluta compared to what could be achieved when only M. pygmaeus is present in glasshouse tomatoes. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Macrolophus pygmaeus consumed more unparasitized than parasitized Tuta absoluta eggs.
- Taxon
- Macrolophus pygmaeus
Macrolophus pygmaeuse0 - Interactor
- Tuta absoluta
.jpg?width=60)
Tuta absolutae0pest - Outcome
- eggs of Tuta absolutae0
- Direction
- moree0
- Comparator
- parasitizede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Macrolophus pygmaeus consumed more unparasitized than parasitized eggs of Tuta absoluta”
e1“tomato crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Mixed diets showed a preference for unparasitized Tuta absoluta eggs.
- Taxon
- M. pygmaeusMacrolophus pygmaeuse2
- Interactor
- Tuta absolutaTuta absolutae1pest
- Outcome
- feeding preference for unparasitized eggse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under mixed diet regimes, Manly indices revealed a feeding preference for unparasitized eggs”
e1“single diets of Tuta absoluta eggs parasitized”
e2“voracity of M. pygmaeus females”
Claim · model-written summary
Conspecific M. pygmaeus interactions suggested intraspecific competition.
- Taxon
- M. pygmaeusMacrolophus pygmaeuse0
- Outcome
- possible occurrence of intraspecific competitione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Conspecific interactions between M. pygmaeus, in contrast to Trichogramma achaeae, revealed the possible occurrence of intraspecific competition”
Claim · model-written summary
Heterospecific interactions yielded fewer consumed and parasitized Tuta absoluta eggs than additive predictions.
- Taxon
- Tuta absolutaTuta absolutae0
- Interactor
- M. pygmaeusMacrolophus pygmaeuse0biocontrol_agent
- Second interactor
- Trichogramma achaeaeTrichogramma achaeaee0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- number of Tuta absoluta eggs consumede0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- additive and non-interactive scenariose0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the number of Tuta absoluta eggs consumed by M. pygmaeus and parasitized by Trichogramma achaeae was lower than that predicted for additive and non-interactive scenarios”
Claim · model-written summary
Using both natural enemies in the field achieved a slightly higher Tuta absoluta control success rate than conspecific treatments.
- Taxon
- tomato
Solanum lycopersicume1 - Treatment
- both M. pygmaeus and Trichogramma achaeae were used simultaneouslye0
- Interactor
- Tuta absolutaTuta absolutae0pest
- Second interactor
- M. pygmaeusMacrolophus pygmaeuse0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- success rate in controlling Tuta absolutae0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- Trichogramma achaeaee0
- Comparator
- conspecific treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a significant difference between the conspecific treatment and heterospecific treatments revealed a slightly higher success rate in controlling Tuta absoluta when both M. pygmaeus and Trichogramma achaeae were used simultaneously”
e1“tomato crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Adding Trichogramma achaeae may increase Tuta absoluta control over M. pygmaeus alone in glasshouse tomatoes.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume0
- Interactor
- Tuta absolutaTuta absolutae0pest
- Second interactor
- Trichogramma achaeaeTrichogramma achaeaee0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- Adding Trichogramma achaeae could significantly increase the level of control of Tuta absolutae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Adding Trichogramma achaeae could significantly increase the level of control of Tuta absoluta compared to what could be achieved when only M. pygmaeus is present in glasshouse tomatoes”
The same questions in other papers
Macrolophus pygmaeus · Tuta absoluta · Solanum lycopersicum (tomato)Positive and negative results
1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- negative
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.