-
Article
Open AccessPopulation-level responses of aphids to pulsed drought stress
The first aim of this study was to test the pulsed stress hypothesis on a system consisting of young spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and the rose-grain aphid Metopolophium dirhodum (Walker) by following the a...
-
Article
Response of the spring wheat–cereal aphid system to drought: support for the plant vigour hypothesis
Drought affects both crops and their pests, but the effect of the interaction between drought and pests on crops has not been sufficiently understood. The aim of this work is to determine (i) the response of s...
-
Article
Open AccessAn intergenerational approach to parasitoid fitness determined using clutch size
Parasitoids, as important natural enemies, occur in high numbers and help maintain balance in natural ecosystems. Their fitness is traditionally studied as fertility based on the number of offspring in the F1 ...
-
Article
Morphological and molecular inference of immature stages of Larinus hedenborgi (Col: Curculionidae), a trehala-constructing weevil
Trehala manna is the edible and trehalose-rich cocoons of a few Larinus species (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Lixinae: Lixini), and manufactured by the feeding activity of larvae on the Echinops plants. Knowledge o...
-
Article
Open AccessEffect of host switching simulation on the fitness of the gregarious parasitoid Anaphes flavipes from a novel two-generation approach
Herbivorous insects can escape the strong pressure of parasitoids by switching to feeding on new host plants. Parasitoids can adapt to this change but at the cost of changing their preferences and performance....
-
Article
Open AccessDiversification, selective sweep, and body size in the invasive Palearctic alfalfa weevil infected with Wolbachia
The alfalfa weevil Hypera postica, native to the Western Palearctic, is an invasive legume pest with two divergent mitochondrial clades in its invading regions, the Western clade and the Eastern/Egyptian clade. H...
-
Article
Leaf structural traits rather than drought resistance determine aphid performance on spring wheat
Drought represents one of the most severe constraints to agricultural production; therefore, resistance to drought has the highest priority in the development of new cultivars. How insect pests respond to drou...
-
Article
Open AccessThe resilience of weed seedbank regulation by carabid beetles, at continental scales, to alternative prey
Carabids are generalist predators that contribute to the agricultural ecosystem service of seedbank regulation via weed seed predation. To facilitate adoption of this ecosystem services by farmers, knowledge o...
-
Article
Factors determining variation in colour morph frequencies in invasive Harmonia axyridis populations
The Harlequin ladybird Harmonia axyridis Pallas, native to eastern Asia, is an invasive, non-native species that has recently achieved an almost worldwide distribution. A conspicuous feature of this species is co...
-
Article
Open AccessHost population density and presence of predators as key factors influencing the number of gregarious parasitoid Anaphes flavipes offspring
The number of parasitoids developed per host is one of the major factors that influences future adult body size and reproductive success. Here, we examined four external factors (host species, heritability, ho...
-
Article
The role of transgenerational effects in adaptation of clonal offspring of white clover (Trifolium repens) to drought and herbivory
Environmentally induced transgenerational effects can increase success of offspring and thereby be adaptive if offspring experience conditions similar to the parental environment. The ecological and evolutiona...
-
Article
Harmonia axyridis failed to establish in the Azores: the role of species richness, intraguild interactions and resource availability
To understand the role of native ladybird biodiversity in habitat susceptibility on the establishment and spread of Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), we characterized and compared European com...
-
Article
The Effects of Pimpinella anisum Essential Oils on Young Larvae Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
The effect of essential oil (EO) from anise (Pimpinellia anisum) on the mortality of young larvae of Colorado potato beetles has been studied. In our bioassays, P. anisum EO significantly increased the mortality ...
-
Article
Open AccessTreatment by glyphosate-based herbicide alters life history parameters of the rose-grain aphid Metopolophium dirhodum
Glyphosate is the number one herbicide in the world. We investigated the sub-lethal effects of this herbicide on the aphid Metopolophium dirhodum (Walker), using an age-stage, two-sex life table approach. Three c...
