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1 - Fruitteeltnieuws 12 - 12 juni 2015
Aphids and their parasitoids in fruit orchards
Ammar Alhmedi & Tim Beliën Pcfruit vzw, Department of Zoology, Fruittuinweg 1, 3800 Sint-Truiden, Belgium For more info contact: ammar.alhmedi@pcfruit.be or tim.belien@pcfruit.be
Fruit tree orchards attract many kinds of insect pests that damage vegetation and fruit.
Aphids are among the most serious pests that attacking fruit trees in Belgium, of which they
are generating severe economic damage through direct feeding, honeydew producing and
virus spreading. These aphids have fortunately insect enemies of their own. Growers can
provide safe habitat for beneficial insects as part of an integrated pest management (IPM)
strategy that reduces the need for pesticides.
Problems related to honeydew production by aphids
- Encouraging the growth of black sooty mould.
- Attracting ants that play an important role in structuring aphid communities and
protecting them against natural enemies (reduce the efficiency of biological
control) and addition to helping in spreading disease in fruit tree orchard during
their movement from soil to the tree and between trees.
- Blocking out the light it needs affecting by the on the photosynthesis process in
leaves and the tree health in general.
Why this study?
The lack of information about diversity of parasitoid wasps associated with aphids in
fruit orchards in Belgium, in addition to the economic importance of fruit tree crops, lead us
to realize this study. Data obtained from this study could be used in developing and subsequently
evaluating integrated management strategies for aphid pests. Data availability on tritrophic
associations is considered as the key element when we want to develop biological control
strategy against aphids, as well as to provide the background information about their host
range patterns. Our field observations were weekly carried-out in apple, pear and cherry
orchards of Sint-Truiden region (pcfruit, Bernissem, Wilderen-Staain, Bevingen, Gingelom)
from June and October 2014. The potential importance of alternative habitats of aphid
parasitoids lead us also to monitor flora growing naturally in or adjacent of fruit tree crops.
mailto:ammar.alhmedi@pcfruit.bemailto:tim.belien@pcfruit.be
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What were aphid species observed attacking fruit trees?
In 2014 season, 11 aphid species belonging to different genera were observed on fruit
trees, presented mainly by the rosy apple aphid, Dysaphis plantaginea (Fig. 1A), woolly apple
aphid Eriosoma lanigerum (Fig. 1B), green apple aphid Aphis pomi (Fig. 1C), on apple, and
black cherry aphid Myzus cerasi (Fig. 1D) on cherry. Pear trees remarkably seemed to be less
vulnerable for aphid attacks and their relative damages. Those aphids were subject to attack
by a wide range of natural enemies, including parasitoid wasps, predators and pathogens. We
focused in the present study on the parasitoid fauna.
Figure 1. Aphids: A: Rosy apple aphid, B: Woolly apple aphid, C: Green apple aphid, D: Black
cherry aphid
Aphid parasitoids (parasitic wasps), which are considered as one of the most important
natural enemies against aphid pests in agricultural system, include aphelinid (Fig. 2a) and
braconid (Fig. 2b) wasps. Parasitoid female lays eggs (Fig. 2a, b) into aphids; the eggs hatch
into larvae that consume the internal contents. Eventually, the larva pupates and becomes an
adult, which chews out an emergence hole. Parasitized aphids are characteristically swollen,
brown, gray to black, and are called mummies (Fig. 2c). During the 2014 season, 15 aphid
parasitoids belonging to 8 genera were recorded attacking aphids (but not all aphid species)
A B
C D
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in apple, pear, and cherry trees (Table 1). Among the collected parasitoid species, 4 species
(Aphelinus mali, Ephedrus persicae, Ephedrus plagiator and Binodoxys angelicae) seemed to be
important biocontrol agents for fruit tree orchards on the basis of their abundance in our samples
and knowledge of their and biology. The rosy apple aphid D. plantaginea hosted more parasitoids
species (8 species) than other aphids observed on fruit tree crops. We, surprisingly for the first time,
detected D. plantaginea as a host aphid of Toxares deltiger in European orchards, this founding
related to vegi orchards of pcfruit.
Figure 2. Parasitic wasps on aphids
Potential solutions have to offer more for both your health and the health of your orchard
In optimal conditions, natural enemies can maintain aphid numbers below thresholds
for causing plant damage so that an insecticide application is not warranted. The use of
conventional insecticides to control aphids may not only kill their natural enemies but also
significantly impact those of other plant-feeding pests, such as two-spotted spider mites. As a
result, spider mites may become a bigger problem than the aphids. This type of phenomenon
is referred to as secondary pest outbreak.
Beneficial fauna is however actually threatened by human-induced habitat alteration, e.g. the
agricultural intensification and the pesticide application. Therefore, in the context of natural aphid
control, to have an efficient and sustainable management for aphids, a diversification through
habitat manipulation can be useful to create an appropriate ecological infrastructure offering
suitable foods for aphid natural enemies, alternative prey or hosts, and shelter from adverse
conditions. Growers can help in this context by providing safe habitat, borders or stripes
occupied by beneficial weeds, shrubs and trees, for beneficial insects, as part of IPM strategy
that reduces the need for pesticides.
Certain weeds are in fact already known as important components in the agro-
ecosystems because they positively affect the biology and dynamics of beneficial insects (e.g.,
a b c
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Miliczky and Horton 2005, Alhmedi et al. 2011, Alignier et al. 2014). Based on the above-
mentioned facts, we observed the distribution and relative abundance of aphids and their
parasitoids on the associated flora (weeds, shrubs and trees) naturally grown in or adjacent to
fruit orchards, in order to evaluate their potential role for enhancing biological control against
orchard aphids. On 29 non-crop plants, associated with aphids and parasitoids, growing
naturally in or adjacent to orchards, 23 aphid species associated with 24 parasitoid species
were sampled, from which 7 parasitoid species share aphid hosts from orchard trees and associated
uncultivated plants (Table 2, Fig. 3). Among the common collected parasitoid species, 4 species
(Ephedrus plagiator, Aphidius matricariae, Aphidius ervi and Praon abjectum) seemed to be
important biocontrol agents for fruit tree orchards on the basis of their abundance in our samples.
Capsella bursa-pastoris, Bellis perennis, Sonchus asper and Senecio vulagris were potentially
seemed to be important as banker for parasitoids, such as Ephedrus persicae, Ephedrus
plagiator, Praon abjectum and Aphidius matricariae, which can attack aphid pests on fruit tree
crops.
Table 1. Association of aphids and their parasitoids on fruit tree crops (apple, pear and cherry)
Host Plants / Aphids Parasitoid wasps
Malus domestica
Eriosoma lanigerum Aphelinus mali Dysaphis plantaginea Ephedrus persicae, Ephedrus plagiator, Binodoxys angelicae,
Praon abjectum, Toxares deltiger, Lipolexis gracilis, Diaeretiella rapae, Aphidius ervi
Aphis pomi Ephedrus persicae, Ephedrus plagiator Healthy aphids : Aphis spiraecola, Macrosiphum euphorbiae, Dysaphis devecta, Rhopalosiphum insertum
Prunus avium
Myzus cerasi Ephedrus persicae , Aphidius matricariae, Binodoxys angelicae
Healthy aphids : Myzus lythri
Pyrus communis
Macrosiphum euphorbiae Praon volucre Healthy aphids : Macrosiphum rosae, Aphis spiraecola, Aphis pomi, Melanahpis pyraria Rhopalosiphum insertum
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Table 2. Association of aphids and their parasitoids on non-crop flora grown naturally in or adjacent
to fruit orchards (apple, pear and cherry)
Host Plants / Aphids Parasitoid wasps
Artimisia vulgaris
Macrosiphoniella oblonga Aphidius absinthii, Aphidius phalangomyzi
Bellis perennis
Macrosiphum euphorbiae Aphidius matricariae, Aphidius ervi
Myzus persicae Aphidius matricariae
Aulacorthum solani Aphidius matricariae
Capsella bursa-pastoris
Lipaphis erysimi Ephedrus plagiator
Myzus persicae Aphidius matricariae, Ephedrus plagiator
Chenopodium album
Macrosiphum euphorbiae Praon volucre, Aphidius ervi
Cirsium arvense
Aphis fabae Lysiphlebus fabarum, Aphelinus sp.
Uroleucon cirsii Aphidius funebris
Capitophorus horni Aphidius matricariae
Crataegus monogyna
Aphis pomi Binodoxys angelicae
Eupatrium cannabinum
Macrosiphum euphorbiae Aphidius ervi
Galinosa quadriradiata
Aphis fabae Lysiphlebus fabarum
Tripleurospermum inodorum Brachycaudus cardui Lysiphlebus brachycaudi, Aphidius matricariae, Ephedrus plagiator
Myzus persicae Aphidius matricariae, Ephedrus plagiator
Medicago lupulina
Acyrthosiphon pisum Aphidius ervi
Phalaris arundinacea
Hyalopterus pruni Ephedrus plagtiator, Praon volucre, Praon abjectum
Plantago lanceolata
Aulacorhtum solani Aphidius ervi
Dysaphis plantaginea Aphidius ervi
Poa annua Sitobion avenae Aphidius rhopalosiphi, Aphidius uzbekistanicus, Aphidius avenae,
Aphidius ervi, Ephedrus plagiator Ribes rubrum
Cryptomyzus ribis Aphidius ribis
Rosa canina
Macrosiphum rosae Aphidius rosae
Rumex obtusifolius
Aphis rumicis Aphidius uzbekistanicus
Rubus idaeus
Amphorophora idaei Aphidius urticae
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Table 2. Continued.
Host Plants / Aphids Parasitoid wasps
Senecio vulgaris Brachycaudus cardui Lysiphlebus brachycaudi, Lysiphlebus fabarum, Ephedrus plagiator,
Aphidius smithi, Aphidius matricariae, Aphidius sp., Ephedrus persicae
Myzus persicae Aphidius matricariae, Ephedrus plagiator, Lysiphlebus fabarum, Ephedrus persicae
Macrosiphum euphorbiae Praon volucre, Praon gallicum
Solanum nigrum
Aulacorthum solani Praon volucre
Sonchus arvensis
Uroleucon sonchi Aphidius sonchi
Hypermyzus lactucae Praon abjectum
Sonchus asper
Uroleucon sonchi Aphidius sonchi, Aphidius funebris, Praon yomenae
Hypermyzus lactucae Praon abjectum, Aphidius sonchi
Aphis fabae Praon abjectum
Sonchus oleraceus
Uroleucon sonchi Aphidius funebris
Hypermyzus lactucae Aphidius funebris
Tanacetum vulgare Macrosiphoniella millefolii Aphidius urticae
Aphidius ervi
Trifolium pratense
Acyrthosiphon pisum Aphidius urticae
Trifolium repens
Acyrthosiphon pisum Aphidius ervi, Aphidius eadyi
Macrosiphum euphorbiae Aphidius ervi
Myzus persicae Lysiphlebus fabarum
Urtica dioica Microlophium carnosum Aphidius microlophii, Aphidius ervi, Aphidius urticae, Aphidius
funebris Urtica urens
Microlophium carnosum Aphidius microlophii
Vicia hirsute Acyrthosiphon pisum Aphidius ervi
Vaccinium corymbosum Macrosiphum euphorbiae Praon voulcre
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Figure 3. Diagrams of common parasitoids and host aphids occurred on fruit tree crops and associated flora.
Aphelinus mali
Eriosoma lanigerum
Malus domestica
Ephedrus persicae
Dysaphis plantaginea
Malus domestica
Aphis pomi Myzus cerasi
Prunus avium
Brachycaudus cardui
Senecio vulgaris
Myzus persicae
Ephedrus plagiator
Dysaphis plantaginea
Malus domestica
Aphis pomi
Hyalopterus pruni
Phalaris arundinacea
Sitobion avenae
Poa annua
Myzus persicae
Lipaphis erysimi
Capsella bursa-pastoris
Brachycaudus cardui
Senecio vulgaris
Myzus persicae
Matricariae maritima
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Conclusion
There are in fact several advantages to encouraging beneficial insects to inhabit our
orchards. Less time and money are spent controlling pests because the beneficials are doing
the work for you. You don’t need to worry about pesticide resistance or environmental
pollution. It is unrealistic and unwise to strive for a weed-free and insect-free orchard. The
presence of natural enemies provides free aphid control, so before spraying with an
insecticide, check to be sure that existing natural enemies are not already taking care of
business. The results of the present study improve our knowledge about aphids and their
parasitoids in apple, pear and cherry orchards including the associated flora in orchards.
Further studies on the relationships between aphids and their parasitoids according to
landscape management are needed to improve biological control strategies against aphid
pests. Further work on preferential behaviour and chemical ecology of biocontrol candidates is also
needed to achieve efficient program of control against aphids.
Acknowledgments
This research is part of the BIOCOMES project in which pcfruit (Department of Zoology)
cooperates with the partners Viridaxis and the Zoological Institute of the University of Belgrade
(Serbia), and has received funding from the European project BIOCOMES (WP10, Grant
Agreement number: 612713).
References
Alhmedi A, Haubruge E, D’Hoedt S, Francis F (2011) Quantitative food webs of herbivore and related beneficial community in non–crop and crop habitats. Biological Control, 58, 103–112.
Alignier A, Raymond L, Deconchat M, Menozzi P, Monteil C, Sarthou J-P, Vialatte A, Ouin A (2014) The effect of semi-natural habitats on aphids and their natural enemies across spatial and temporal scales. Biological control, 77, 76–82.
Miliczky ER, Horton DR (2005) Densities of beneficial arthropods within pear and apple orchards affected by distance from adjacent native habitat and association of natural enemies with extra-orchard host plants. Biological Control, 33, 249–259.
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