Combining two parasitoids (Asecodes hispinarum and Tetrastichus brontispae) for biological control of coconut leaf beetle
The coconut leaf beetle (CLB), Brontispa longissima, is a major threat to coconut production worldwide, causing widespread and important losses throughout the tropics. Two eulophid parasitoids, larval parasitoid Asecodes hispinarum and pupal parasitoid Tetrastichus brontispae, are the dominant natur...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Biological Control |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049964424002536 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841553796986044416 |
|---|---|
| author | Qikai Zhang Bin Jiao Hui Lu Jihong Tang Xu Zhang Baoqian Lyu |
| author_facet | Qikai Zhang Bin Jiao Hui Lu Jihong Tang Xu Zhang Baoqian Lyu |
| author_sort | Qikai Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The coconut leaf beetle (CLB), Brontispa longissima, is a major threat to coconut production worldwide, causing widespread and important losses throughout the tropics. Two eulophid parasitoids, larval parasitoid Asecodes hispinarum and pupal parasitoid Tetrastichus brontispae, are the dominant natural enemies of CLB. However, the combined use of these species for biocontrol has not been systematically explored. We analyzed the interactions of A. hispinarum and T. brontispae and evaluated possible deployment strategies by determining the outcomes of releases under realistic agricultural conditions. Our laboratory studies showed that the concurrent release of the two parasitoid species did not reduce either species lifespan or reproductive output, and it significantly enhanced the impact on CLB. A 3:1 ratio of A. hispinarum to T. brontispae, a 10:1 parasitoid-to-pest ratio, and a regimen of five consecutive monthly releases proved to be the most effective strategy in the laboratory. When this combined release approach was used in field trials over a two-year period, there were significant reductions in pest densities and higher parasitism rates than single-species releases. This study highlights the potential of integrating multiple parasitoid species to improve biological control programs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-17b82d66959a4a80839024e24853eb70 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1049-9644 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biological Control |
| spelling | doaj-art-17b82d66959a4a80839024e24853eb702025-01-09T06:13:13ZengElsevierBiological Control1049-96442025-01-01200105688Combining two parasitoids (Asecodes hispinarum and Tetrastichus brontispae) for biological control of coconut leaf beetleQikai Zhang0Bin Jiao1Hui Lu2Jihong Tang3Xu Zhang4Baoqian Lyu5Environment and Plant Protection Institute, CATAS/Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management of Tropical Crops, Haikou 571101, China; Sanya Research Institute, CATAS/Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in the Nanfan Area, Sanya 572025, ChinaEnvironment and Plant Protection Institute, CATAS/Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management of Tropical Crops, Haikou 571101, China; Sanya Research Institute, CATAS/Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in the Nanfan Area, Sanya 572025, ChinaEnvironment and Plant Protection Institute, CATAS/Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management of Tropical Crops, Haikou 571101, ChinaEnvironment and Plant Protection Institute, CATAS/Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management of Tropical Crops, Haikou 571101, China; Sanya Research Institute, CATAS/Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in the Nanfan Area, Sanya 572025, ChinaCollege of Plant Protection, SDAU/Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Biology of Vegetable Diseases and Insect Pests, Taian 271018, ChinaEnvironment and Plant Protection Institute, CATAS/Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management of Tropical Crops, Haikou 571101, China; Sanya Research Institute, CATAS/Hainan Key Laboratory for Biosafety Monitoring and Molecular Breeding in the Nanfan Area, Sanya 572025, China; Corresponding author at: Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, 571101, Haikou, China.The coconut leaf beetle (CLB), Brontispa longissima, is a major threat to coconut production worldwide, causing widespread and important losses throughout the tropics. Two eulophid parasitoids, larval parasitoid Asecodes hispinarum and pupal parasitoid Tetrastichus brontispae, are the dominant natural enemies of CLB. However, the combined use of these species for biocontrol has not been systematically explored. We analyzed the interactions of A. hispinarum and T. brontispae and evaluated possible deployment strategies by determining the outcomes of releases under realistic agricultural conditions. Our laboratory studies showed that the concurrent release of the two parasitoid species did not reduce either species lifespan or reproductive output, and it significantly enhanced the impact on CLB. A 3:1 ratio of A. hispinarum to T. brontispae, a 10:1 parasitoid-to-pest ratio, and a regimen of five consecutive monthly releases proved to be the most effective strategy in the laboratory. When this combined release approach was used in field trials over a two-year period, there were significant reductions in pest densities and higher parasitism rates than single-species releases. This study highlights the potential of integrating multiple parasitoid species to improve biological control programs.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049964424002536Biological controlIntegrated pest managementSynergistic applicationRelease strategiesNiche complementarity |
| spellingShingle | Qikai Zhang Bin Jiao Hui Lu Jihong Tang Xu Zhang Baoqian Lyu Combining two parasitoids (Asecodes hispinarum and Tetrastichus brontispae) for biological control of coconut leaf beetle Biological Control Biological control Integrated pest management Synergistic application Release strategies Niche complementarity |
| title | Combining two parasitoids (Asecodes hispinarum and Tetrastichus brontispae) for biological control of coconut leaf beetle |
| title_full | Combining two parasitoids (Asecodes hispinarum and Tetrastichus brontispae) for biological control of coconut leaf beetle |
| title_fullStr | Combining two parasitoids (Asecodes hispinarum and Tetrastichus brontispae) for biological control of coconut leaf beetle |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combining two parasitoids (Asecodes hispinarum and Tetrastichus brontispae) for biological control of coconut leaf beetle |
| title_short | Combining two parasitoids (Asecodes hispinarum and Tetrastichus brontispae) for biological control of coconut leaf beetle |
| title_sort | combining two parasitoids asecodes hispinarum and tetrastichus brontispae for biological control of coconut leaf beetle |
| topic | Biological control Integrated pest management Synergistic application Release strategies Niche complementarity |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049964424002536 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT qikaizhang combiningtwoparasitoidsasecodeshispinarumandtetrastichusbrontispaeforbiologicalcontrolofcoconutleafbeetle AT binjiao combiningtwoparasitoidsasecodeshispinarumandtetrastichusbrontispaeforbiologicalcontrolofcoconutleafbeetle AT huilu combiningtwoparasitoidsasecodeshispinarumandtetrastichusbrontispaeforbiologicalcontrolofcoconutleafbeetle AT jihongtang combiningtwoparasitoidsasecodeshispinarumandtetrastichusbrontispaeforbiologicalcontrolofcoconutleafbeetle AT xuzhang combiningtwoparasitoidsasecodeshispinarumandtetrastichusbrontispaeforbiologicalcontrolofcoconutleafbeetle AT baoqianlyu combiningtwoparasitoidsasecodeshispinarumandtetrastichusbrontispaeforbiologicalcontrolofcoconutleafbeetle |