Biological Control最新文献

{"title":"Bee-mediated delivery of bacteriophage for biocontrol of the cherry canker pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae","authors":"Shannon F. Greer ,&nbsp;Sneha Chakravorty ,&nbsp;Kieran Cooney-Nutley ,&nbsp;Dave Chandler ,&nbsp;Gregory Firth ,&nbsp;Rajesh Odedra ,&nbsp;Mojgan Rabiey","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105922","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105922","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bacteriophages, phages or viruses that specifically infect bacteria, have shown promise for the biocontrol of bacterial plant diseases. However, one of the main challenges of using phages in agricultural systems is their precision application, being able to deliver an effective dose to the site of bacterial infection. In this study, a series of artificial and real cherry flower experiments was conducted to test whether commercially managed bumblebees (<em>Bombus terrestris audax</em>) could deliver phage effective against the cherry canker pathogen <em>Pseudomonas syringae</em> pv. <em>syringae</em> (<em>Pss</em>). Freeze-dried phage powder was formulated with powdered-skimmed milk and when tested, was found to retain viability for seven days in artificial bee feed after storage at 4 °C, room temperature or under glasshouse conditions. In both artificial and cherry flower experiments, bees successfully transferred the formulated phage from their hive to up to 88 % of flowers, resulting in significant reduction in <em>Pss</em> populations. Bees were also able to transfer phage between cherry flowers. The application of phages disrupted the cycle of <em>Pss</em> transmission by bees. These results highlight the potential of bee-mediated phage delivery as an effective biocontrol strategy against floral pathogens like <em>Pss</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 105922"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145569855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phenology and spatial modeling of native and exotic parasitoids for biological control of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in Africa under changing climate conditions","authors":"Marian Adan ,&nbsp;Henri E.Z. Tonnang ,&nbsp;Klaus Greve ,&nbsp;Christian Borgemeister ,&nbsp;Georg Goergen","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105929","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105929","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The fall armyworm (<em>Spodoptera frugiperda</em>) poses a significant threat to African agriculture, particularly maize crops, necessitating sustainable pest management solutions. This study evaluates the phenology and effectiveness of both native (<em>Chelonus bifoveolatus</em>, <em>Cotesia icipe</em>, and <em>Charops</em> sp.) and exotic (<em>Chelonus insularis and Cotesia marginiventris</em> parasitoids species as biological control agents under various temperature regimes and future climate scenarios. Utilizing the Insect Life Cycle Modeling (ILCYM) software, the developmental stages, mortality rates, fecundity, life table parameters, and spatial dynamics of these parasitoids were analyzed across a temperature range of 20 °C to 32 °C. The results reveal that optimal development and minimal mortality for these parasitoids generally occur between 25 °C and 30 °C. Native species like <em>Cotesia icipe</em> and <em>Chelonus bifoveolatus</em> demonstrated robust adaptability and higher reproductive rates under these conditions. In contrast, <em>Chelonus insularis</em>, an exotic species, exhibited a narrower temperature tolerance but showed potential for increased reproductive success under future climate scenarios, particularly in southern and eastern Africa. Spatial modeling highlighted that <em>Cotesia icipe</em> exhibited high oviposition rates in East Africa, while <em>C. insularis</em> showed similar potential across central and southern Africa, making these regions prime candidates for targeted biological control interventions. Conversely, regions in southern Africa displayed higher senescence rates for certain parasitoids, such as <em>Cotesia icipe</em>, suggesting potential limitations in their long-term effectiveness in these areas. Climate change projections under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios 2.6 and 8.5 predict significant shifts in the distribution, activity, and establishment risk of both native and exotic parasitoids by 2050 and 2070. Native species like <em>Cotesia icipe</em> and <em>Charops</em> sp. are expected to maintain or expand their effectiveness across regions, while <em>C. insularis</em> may become increasingly important in new areas as climatic conditions evolve.</div><div>This research provides critical insights into the phenology and spatial ecology of parasitoid species, emphasizing their role in integrated pest management necessary under climate change. The findings underscore the importance of selecting climate-resilient parasitoids for sustainable biological control programs across diverse African agro-ecological zones.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 105929"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145680969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Xenorhabdus and Photorhabdus (Morganellaceae) on volatile composition of “Tempranillo” must and on Saccharomyces cerevisiae during alcoholic fermentation","authors":"Ignacio Vicente-Díez,&nbsp;Mar Vilanova,&nbsp;Pilar Morales,&nbsp;Ramón González,&nbsp;Raquel Campos-Herrera","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105906","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105906","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Viticulture is a global activity producing over eighty million tonnes of grapes annually, 50 % used in winemaking. Traditional viticultural practices still rely on hazardous pesticides, posing environmental and health risks. Recently, <em>Xenorhabdus</em> and <em>Photorhabdus</em>, symbiotic bacteria of entomopathogenic nematodes, have arisen as eco-friendly solutions for pest and disease management in vineyards. However, whether their application can impact the quality of grapes and their microbiota remains unexplored. To unravel the possible impact, we investigated the effect of (<em>i</em>) their direct application on grapes’ volatile composition and (<em>ii</em>) their combination with <em>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</em> in must fermentation. First, we applied unfiltered ferments (UFs) of <em>Xenorhabdus nematophila</em> and <em>Photorhabdus laumondii</em> subsp. <em>laumondii</em> to grapes of <em>Vitis vinifera</em> var. “Tempranillo”. The volatile composition of the grapes was evaluated using solid-phase and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPE-GC/MS). Second, microfermentations using two <em>S. cerevisiae</em> in reconstituted must media were supplemented (1:10) with the treatments (<em>i</em>) cell-free supernatants (CFS), (<em>ii</em>) UFs, and (iii) free-bacterial from <em>X. nematophila</em> and <em>P. laumondii</em>. No significant alterations in the total free volatile fraction were observed, although specific free volatiles (phenyl ethyl alcohol, hexanal, and (<em>E</em>)-2-hexenal) exhibited significant variation under specific treatments. In the glycosidically bound fraction, phenylacetic acid concentrations increased markedly with <em>X. nematophila</em> UFs. In the fermentations, the treatments had no significant impact on CO₂ production kinetics and only slightly affected some fermentation parameters, underscoring their compatibility with yeast-driven fermentation processes. These findings suggest that <em>Xenorhabdus</em> and <em>Photorhabdus</em> can be integrated into vineyard pest management strategies without adversely affecting winemaking parameters or grape aroma quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 105906"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145465229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of horizontal transmission of Cordyceps javanica in managing Drosophila suzukii populations","authors":"Ricardo Alberto Toledo-Hernández ,&nbsp;Rodrigo Lasa ,&nbsp;Pablo Montoya ,&nbsp;Pablo Liedo ,&nbsp;Mónica Pulido ,&nbsp;Jorge Toledo","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105927","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105927","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Drosophila suzukii</em> (Matsumura) is a globally distributed pest of soft fruit crops with significant economic impact. This study evaluated the horizontal transmission of conidia of the entomopathogen, <em>Cordyceps javanica,</em> among <em>D. suzukii</em> adults under laboratory and semi-field conditions. Adults of both sexes acquired 1.5–1.8 × 10⁸ conidia per adult when self-inoculated using a felt tube device. No significant differences in the mean number of matings per cage or the duration of mating were observed between non-inoculated adults (Control) or adults inoculated with viable conidia. A mean 1.2–6.0 × 10⁶ conidia per adult were successfully transferred during the first mating event. Inoculated adults exhibited high mortality rates (87–93 %), which exceeded those observed in conspecifics that acquired conidia during the first mating (57–75 %). Conidia transfer and fungal-induced mortality decreased significantly after the second mating event of males. Infected females in the first mating experienced a moderate reduction in fecundity (53 to 93 eggs/female) compared to non-infected females (130 eggs/female), but fertility remained unaffected (&gt;96 % egg hatch rate). Non-inoculated males that were exposed to inoculated males, can acquire conidia due the male-male interactions, but those males exhibited minimal transmission of conidia to females during their first mating, resulting in negligible fungal-induced mortality to females (&lt;2%). Similar mating rates between inoculated and non-inoculated males were observed in semi-field experiments, but low fungal-induced mortality was recorded under these conditions. Our findings reveal some limitations that can compromise the effectiveness of the use of this entomopathogen with a “lure and infect” approach to control <em>D. suzukii</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 105927"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145615099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization and genome analysis of marine Streptomyces albidoflavus S20 for the biological control of tobacco black shank","authors":"Yayue Wang ,&nbsp;Fangfang Jia ,&nbsp;Ruifang Song ,&nbsp;Chong Chen ,&nbsp;Tuanwei Pu ,&nbsp;Yueqi Xu ,&nbsp;Dong Chang ,&nbsp;Xuguang Wang ,&nbsp;Jianhua Li ,&nbsp;Yikuan Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105908","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105908","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tobacco black shank, a destructive soil-borne disease caused by<!--> <em>Phytophthora nicotianae</em>, poses serious threats to global tobacco production. To address this threat, a marine sponge-derived actinomycete, designated strain S20, was isolated and demonstrated potent antagonistic activity against this pathogen. In plate confrontation assays, strain S20 exhibited 90.3 % inhibition of<!--> <em>P. nicotianae</em>, and achieved disease control efficiency of 92.1 % and 90.4 % in pot and field trials, respectively. Morphological and molecular characterization identified the strain as<!--> <em>Streptomyces albidoflavus</em>. Whole-genome analysis revealed a circular chromosome of 6.73 Mb with 73.12 % GC content, harboring 5,761 protein-coding genes, along with a 218.7 kb plasmid containing 70.47 % GC and 170 open reading frames. AntiSMASH identified numerous BGCs putatively encoding compounds with antifungal, plant growth-promoting, and stress resilience activities. Functional assays showed that strain S20 produced extracellular chitinase, cellulase, β-1,3-glucanase, and protease, in addition to displaying plant-beneficial traits such as nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, and indole-3-acetic acid biosynthesis. Furthermore, treatment with S20 significantly enhanced tobacco seed germination and root elongation, while also increasing the soluble protein content and α-amylase activity. Collectively, our results establish<!--> <em>S. albidoflavus</em> <!-->S20 as a promising multifunctional biocontrol agent that controls tobacco black shank via direct antagonism and growth promotion, representing a sustainable and effective biocontrol agent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 105908"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145435392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing natural enemies in sugar beet fields: The impact of flower strip types and landscape elements","authors":"Angela Studer ,&nbsp;Linda Näpflin ,&nbsp;Philippe Jeanneret ,&nbsp;Katja Jacot","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105879","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105879","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flower strips (FS) enhance predators that can help regulate aphids. In sugar beet crops, early-season aphid populations can spread viruses, so timely FS resources are key to attract aphid predators to reduce virus transmission. This study aims to identify the optimal FS type(s) for supporting aphid antagonists in early spring, track their abundances in the different FS types, and analyze the landscape factors influencing antagonist presence.</div><div>We selected three different seed mixtures, each sown on 10 sugar beet fields managed without insecticides. FS types were compared to sugar beet strips in fields without insecticides, and conventionally managed fields, both served as controls. We assessed the strips by counting flowers and collecting insects with a sweep net in mid-April, early May, and early June.</div><div>Autumn-sown annual and second-year perennial FS produced greater and earlier flower volumes than other treatments. Over time, the flower compositions of these two FS types also became increasingly distinct from each other. Aphid antagonists were more abundant in these FS types compared to spring-sown annual FS and controls. Hoverfly communities differed between autumn-sown and perennial FS. Braconidae were positively linked to forest cover within 500 m, while hoverflies showed a negative association with forest at the 2000 m scale.</div><div>Overall, autumn-sown annual and perennial FS are better suited for conservation biocontrol of aphids in sugar beet systems than spring-sown annual FS. Hoverfly composition differences may lead to variation in aphid suppression. From a landscape perspective, forested areas near fields within otherwise open landscapes are important in supporting beneficial insects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 105879"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome sequencing and experimental validation reveal the biocontrol activity of endophytic Bacillus velezensis XY3 against Colletotrichum fructicola","authors":"Yi-Mei Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhen-Cheng Duan ,&nbsp;Yuan-Pu Lv ,&nbsp;Zhen-Kun Li ,&nbsp;Wan-Ying Zhang ,&nbsp;Ling-Yun Zheng ,&nbsp;Ya-Feng Dai ,&nbsp;Guang Yang ,&nbsp;An-Dong Gong","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105892","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105892","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tea anthracnose, caused by <em>Colletotrichum</em> spp., is a prevalent foliar disease in the primary tea-planting regions of China. The conventional chemical control of tea anthracnose results in excessive fungicide residues, which constrain the export of tea from our country. Therefore, it is imperative to develop safe and pollution-free biological control methods. Strain XY3, isolated from the healthy leaves of ‘Xinyang 10’ cultivar and identified as <em>Bacillus velezensis</em> through 16S rRNA gene analysis, demonstrated significant inhibition of conidial germination, hyphal growth, and the pathogenicity of <em>Colletotrichum fructicola</em>. Propidium iodide and Hoechst staining assays indicated that the membrane permeability of the mycelium was compromised when cultured with the fermentation broth of XY3. Crude lipopeptides were extracted from fermentation broth showing an EC₅₀ value of 21.33 µg mL⁻¹, and the antimicrobial compounds including iturinA, fengycinA, surfactin, and their homologs were detected via LC-MS/MS. Plate confrontation assay verified that iturin and fengycin purified compounds exhibited notable inhibitory activities. Additionally, the whole genome of XY3 was sequenced with 46.5 % GC content in the size of 3.93 Mb circular chromosome. Subsequent, Go, KEGG and COG analysis were conducted, identifying 102 carbohydrate-active enzymes, 12 gene clusters of secondary metabolites. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that two unique genes ctg_01263 and ctg_01267 of strain XY3 are related to lanthipeptide synthetase synthesis. These functional analyses reveal a numerous genes involved in the biosynthesis of antagonistic metabolites antagonistic to pathogens. Besides, XY3 also exhibits the potential in promoting plant growth by producing indole-3-acetic acid. Collectively, <em>B. velezensis</em> XY3 emerges as a promising biocontrol agent against <em>C. fructicola</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 105892"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A test of relative effects of chemotype and environment on biocontrol of invasive Melaleuca quinquenervia in Florida","authors":"Blake Blaskowski ,&nbsp;Melissa Smith ,&nbsp;Andrea Carmona-Cortez ,&nbsp;Anthony Garcia ,&nbsp;Peter Stiling","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105910","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105910","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Invasive <em>Melaleuca quinquenervia</em> consists of two different chemotypes, <em>E</em>-viridiflorol and <em>E</em>-nerolidol that differentiate geographically in Florida: <em>E</em>-nerolidol dominates on the east coast and <em>E</em>-viridiflorol is more common on the west coast. Both chemotypes are susceptible to attack from three introduced herbivorous biological control insects from Australia: the leaf-feeding weevil, <em>Oxyops vitiosa</em>, the sap sucking psyllid, <em>Boreioglycaspis melaleucae</em>, and the stem-galling midge, <em>Lophodiplosis trifida</em>. <em>Boreioglycaspis melaleucae</em> were collected from areas in Queensland, Australia supporting only the <em>E</em>-viridiflorol chemotype whereas <em>O. vitiosa</em> and <em>L. trifida</em> were collected more broadly in Australia, in areas supporting both chemotypes. Here, we use reciprocal transplants of <em>E</em>-nerolidol and <em>E</em>-viridiflorol from Florida’s east and west coasts, and censuses of naturally occurring trees on both coasts, to determine if biological control agents (a) prefer one chemotype over another or (b) prefer one coastal site over another. Results showed that there was no chemotype preference of <em>O. vitiosa</em> or <em>L. trifida</em>, but we observed a significant preference for <em>E</em>-viridiflorol by <em>B. melaleucae</em>. There were also differences in herbivore densities between east and west coasts that were likely caused by different environmental conditions. We suggest both consideration of chemotype preference as well as impact of environment when selecting biological control agents for field releases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 105910"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145473511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sentinel prey settings differ in their ability to distinguish organic from conventional apple orchards and in their sensitivity to weather conditions during field exposure","authors":"Claire Lavigne,&nbsp;Bertrand Gauffre,&nbsp;Cécile Thomas,&nbsp;Jean-Charles Bouvier,&nbsp;Xavier Said,&nbsp;Filipa Knapen,&nbsp;Jérôme Olivares,&nbsp;Alexis Cavazzini,&nbsp;Pierre Franck","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105875","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105875","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Determining factors that affect pest predation by natural enemies is essential for designing cropping systems that promote conservation biological control. Predation of sentinel prey has become an increasingly popular measure of predator activity for comparing fields with differing characteristics of interest. However, many different sentinel prey exist, and such studies rarely examine how the specific prey used influences their conclusions, especially in perennial crops. We compared the ability of four sentinel prey, placed either in the tree canopy (eggs of two Lepidoptera, <em>Cydia pomonella</em> and <em>Ephestia kuehniella</em>, and aphids, <em>Acyrthosiphon pisum</em>) or on the ground (aphids, <em>A. pisum</em>, and seeds of <em>Viola arvensis</em>), to differentiate between organic and conventional apple orchards. Furthermore, we assessed whether their predation depended on weather conditions during field exposure. We monitored predation of these sentinel prey during two field sessions (April and May) over nine years in 14 apple orchards. Predation of aphids exposed for 24 h on the ground was always high. Predation of all other prey, except seeds, was higher in organic than in conventional orchards, particularly during the April field session. Additionally, the predation of seeds, and to a lesser extent of aphids, was influenced by weather conditions during exposure. <em>Ephestia</em> eggs emerged as a suitable choice for comparing predation by generalist predators among orchards, as they were easy to handle and their predation rates were positively correlated with those of aphids exposed in the tree canopy. Codling moth eggs displayed a somewhat different predation pattern and could be a valuable complement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 105875"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144989801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Density-dependent transgenerational effects of Pyemotes zhonghuajia parasitism on the Megabruchidius dorsalis","authors":"Silin Chen ,&nbsp;Siyu Chen ,&nbsp;Jianfeng Liu ,&nbsp;Fangling Xu ,&nbsp;Maofa Yang ,&nbsp;Chengxu Wu ,&nbsp;Runa Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105890","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105890","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ectoparasitic mites can significantly influence host insect populations by altering their growth, reproduction, and survival. This study investigates the density-dependent effects of <em>Pyemotes zhonghuajia</em> (Yu, Zhang &amp; He) (Prostigmata: Pyemotidae) parasitism on the life history traits and population dynamics of <em>Megabruchidius dorsalis</em> (Fahraeus, 1839) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae). Using a two-sex life table approach, we analyzed the impact of different <em>P. zhonghuajia</em> densities (5, 10, and 20 mites per host) on both parental and offspring generations. The results showed that low-density parasitism (5 mites) significantly reduced parental fecundity (from 25.310 to 13.220 eggs/female) and suppressed offspring population growth (<em>R₀</em> reduced to 0.203), likely due to maternal effects. Under high-density mite parasitism (10 and 20 mites), parental adults exhibit extended longevity, delayed maturation, and suppressed reproduction, while the offspring show a partial restoration of reproductive potential. The findings suggest that <em>P. zhonghuajia</em> parasitism disrupts <em>M. dorsalis</em> population dynamics through density-dependent and intergenerational effects, offering insights into its potential as a biocontrol agent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8880,"journal":{"name":"Biological Control","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 105890"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}