RESUMEN
Elucidating the diets of insect predators is important in basic and applied ecology, such as for improving the effectiveness of conservation biological control measures to promote natural enemies of crop pests. Here, we investigated the aphid diet of two common aphid predators in Central European agroecosystems, the native Coccinella septempunctata (Linnaeus) and the invasive Harmonia axyridis (Pallas; Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) by means of high throughput sequencing (HTS). For acquiring insights into diets of mobile flying insects at landscape scale minimizing trapping bias is important, which imposes methodological challenges for HTS. We therefore assessed the suitability of three field sampling methods (sticky traps, pan traps and hand-collection) as well as new aphid primers for identifying aphid prey consumption by coccinellids through HTS. The new aphid primers facilitate identification to species level in 75% of the European aphid genera investigated. Aphid primer specificity was high in silico and in vitro but low in environmental samples with the methods used, although this could be improved in future studies. For insect trapping we conclude that sticky traps are a suitable method in terms of minimizing sampling bias, contamination risk and trapping success, but compromise on DNA-recovery rate. The aphid diets of both field-captured ladybird species were dominated by Microlophium carnosum, the common nettle aphid. Another common prey was Sitobion avenae (cereal aphid), which got more often detected in C. septempunctata compared to H. axyridis. Around one third of the recovered aphid taxa were common crop pests. We conclude that sampling methodologies need constant revision but that our improved aphid primers offer currently one of the best solutions for broad screenings of coccinellid predation on aphids.
Asunto(s)
Áfidos/genética , Escarabajos/fisiología , Cadena Alimentaria , Conducta Predatoria , Alimentación Animal/análisis , Animales , Áfidos/clasificación , ADN/análisis , ADN/genética , Secuenciación de Nucleótidos de Alto Rendimiento , Especies Introducidas , Especificidad de la EspecieRESUMEN
Biological invasion of aphids and other insects has been increased due to long distance commercial transportation of plant material. The bamboo-aphid-parasitoid association is strictly specific and even though it does not develop interactions with the local environment it should be listed as part of the fauna of southwestern Europe. On-going research regarding aphids and their aphidiine parasitoids in Spain has yielded a new association of Trioxys liui Chou & Chou, 1993 with an undescribed species of Takecallis aphids on bamboo, Phyllostachys spp. Here we present the first association of T. liui with aphids of the genus Takecallis that attack bamboos. Trioxys liui is known as a parasitoid of Cranaphis formosana (Takahashi, 1924) and Phyllaphoides bambusicola Takahashi, 1921 on bamboos in China and Russia. The accidental introduction of this parasitoid species to southwestern Europe has been probably realized through transportation of contaminated bamboo plant material. In the current study, a new host association is recorded for T. liui. Its potential to invade other bamboo-associated aphids and the significance of the tritrophic bamboo-aphid-parasitoid interactions in the new environments are also discussed.
RESUMEN
The genus Neophyllaphis (Takahashi) (Aphididae: Neophyllaphidinae) is composed of 18 species; however, in the Americas only nine species have been reported previously. A new species, Neophyllaphisvaricolor Miller & Halbert, was described in 2014 in USA. Colonies resembling those of this new species have been observed in Costa Rica on Podocarpus spp. In order to determine if N.varicolor is also present in Costa Rica, we sampled Neophyllaphis colonies from Podocarpusfalcatus and P.chinensis. Additionally, we sampled individuals from Podocarpus sp. in Spain and Vietnam. DNA of each sample was extracted and used to amplify and sequence the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and elongation factor I (EF-1α) partial regions. According to morphological characteristics, sequences comparisons done in GenBank and BOLD, and phylogenetic analyses, the colonies collected from Podocarpus spp. in Costa Rica and the colony from Vietnam corresponded to the species N.varicolor. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of the presence of N.varicolor in Central America and Vietnam.
RESUMEN
The sexuales (apterous oviparous female and alate male) of Myzodium modestum (Hottes) are described for the first time from specimens captured in the Swiss Alps. This is also the first record of this species in Switzerland. This is the first evidence that an aphid may be able to complete its life cycle on mosses.
Asunto(s)
Áfidos/anatomía & histología , Áfidos/clasificación , Animales , Briófitas , Femenino , Estadios del Ciclo de Vida , Masculino , Especificidad de la Especie , SuizaRESUMEN
Three new species of Hyadaphis Kirkaldy, 1904 (Hemiptera, Aphididae, Macrosiphini) are established: Hyadaphis levantina sp. n. from specimens caught on Lonicera nummulariifolia from Lebanon and Israel, and Hyadaphis anethi sp. n. plus Hyadaphis parva sp. n. from specimens respectively caught on Anethum sp. and Andrachne (?) cordifolia from Pakistan. Apterous viviparous females of all three species, alate viviparae of the first two and males of H. anethi are described. Known and new species of Hyadaphis are grouped for two relevant characters: (1) size and shape of siphunculi, and (2) host plant and life cycle; and the discriminant features of apterous viviparous females of the new species are compared with the already described species of the same group and a key for the Hyadaphis species is provided.
Asunto(s)
Áfidos/clasificación , Distribución Animal , Estructuras Animales/anatomía & histología , Estructuras Animales/crecimiento & desarrollo , Animales , Áfidos/anatomía & histología , Áfidos/crecimiento & desarrollo , Tamaño Corporal , Femenino , Israel , Líbano , Masculino , Tamaño de los Órganos , PakistánRESUMEN
The present paper represents a contribution to the knowledge of the taxonomy of Monoctonia Starý aphid parasitoids obtained using the barcoding region of the mitochondrial COI gene. We discuss the phylogenetic position of the genus within the subtribe Monoctonina, redescribe known species, and describe Monoctonia japonica sp. n. from Japan in the association Pemphigus matsumurai Monzen/Populus maximowiczii. A key for species identification is provided. Also, we review and discuss the host records, origin, and geographical distribution of Monoctonia species. It is hypothesized that the genus Monoctonia evolved in Paleogene forests of the temperate (and subtropical) belt, most probably in the European part of the Mediterranean region, which is also the center of origin of their host plants.
Asunto(s)
Avispas/clasificación , Avispas/genética , Distribución Animal , Estructuras Animales/anatomía & histología , Estructuras Animales/crecimiento & desarrollo , Animales , Tamaño Corporal , Ecosistema , Femenino , Especificidad del Huésped , Masculino , Tamaño de los Órganos , Filogenia , Avispas/crecimiento & desarrollo , Avispas/fisiologíaRESUMEN
The new species Rhopalosiphum chusqueae Pérez Hidalgo & Villalobos Muller, is described from apterous viviparous females caught on Chusquea tomentosa in Cerro de la Muerte (Costa Rica). The identity of the species is supported both by the morphological features and by a molecular phylogenetic analysis based on a fragment of the mitochondrial DNA containing the 5' region of the cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) and on the nuclear gene coding for the Elongation factor-1 alpha (EF1α). The taxonomic position of the new species is discussed. An identification key to the Aphidinae species living on plants of Bambusoideae (Poaceae) is presented.