Effects of marigold on the behavior, survival and nutrient reserves of Aphidius Platensis

Marigolds ( Tagetes erecta L.) suppress nematodes and are attractive companion plants, but their role in biological control is unknown. We evaluated how exposure to marigold blooms impacts the aphid parasitoid, Aphidius platensis Brethes. Female wasps previously exposed to marigold spent more time w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BioControl (Dordrecht, Netherlands) Netherlands), 2018-08, Vol.63 (4), p.543-553
Main Authors: Souza, Ivana Lemos, Marucci, Rosangela Cristina, Silveira, Luis Claudio Paterno, de Paulo, Nágila Cristina Paixão, Lee, Jana C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Animal Biochemistry
Animal Ecology
Aphidius
Aphidius platensis
Aphidoidea
Behavioral Sciences
Biological control
Biological effects
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Calendula
Emergence
Entomology
Females
Flowers & plants
Foraging behavior
Glycogen
Glycogens
Grooming
Honey
Hymenoptera
Insects
Life Sciences
Lipids
Marigolds
Myzus persicae
Nematodes
Normal distribution
Nutrient reserves
Parasitism
Parasitoids
Plant nectar
Plant Pathology
Plants (botany)
Reserves
Schizaphis graminum
Sex ratio
Sorghum
Sugar
Survival
Tagetes erecta
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Summary:Marigolds ( Tagetes erecta L.) suppress nematodes and are attractive companion plants, but their role in biological control is unknown. We evaluated how exposure to marigold blooms impacts the aphid parasitoid, Aphidius platensis Brethes. Female wasps previously exposed to marigold spent more time walking and parasitizing Myzus percisae Sulzer or Schizaphis graminum Rodani aphids, and subsequently had higher parasitism rates. Meanwhile, completely starved wasps spent more time stationary and marginally more time grooming. Time spent probing, emergence rate, and sex ratio were not affected. Wasp survival was best on honey, followed by marigold, and lowest on non-blooming marigolds. Nutrient reserves of wasps given honey, aphid-infested marigold, or marigold alone were compared to newly-emerged unfed wasps. Their resulting lipid, glycogen and sugar levels were similar, suggesting that these foods helped wasps maintain reserves similar to emergence levels. These results suggest that marigold may improve biological control of aphids by A . platensis .
ISSN:1386-6141
1573-8248
DOI:10.1007/s10526-018-9882-8