Lygus Hahn (Hemiptera: Miridae) are serious pests of economically important field, fruit, vegetable, and greenhouse crops in Canada. The release of European Peristenus Förster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in the USA has resulted in significant suppression of this pest and has renewed interest in the release of European Peristenus spp. in Canada. Prior to the release of exotic Peristenus spp., ecological host range studies need to be conducted to define their habitat and host associations. <p>These associations can be difficult to study using conventional methods. Morphological similarity of related parasitoids prevents species-level identification by dissection. Host rearing is time-consuming and can result in high levels of host and parasitoid mortality. To facilitate identification of immature Peristenus spp. in their hosts, a multiplex PCR assay was developed. This assay provided a specific and sensitive tool to screen individual insects for three parasitoid species simultaneously. <p>To validate the utility of the multiplex PCR assay in ecological host range studies, parasitism and parasitoid species composition obtained using conventional and molecular techniques were compared. Molecular methods compared favorably with conventional methods; however, more complete species composition information was available with the multiplex assay. To improve the quality of risk assessment studies and extract the most accurate ecological host range data, molecular methods were used to evaluate host-parasitoid associations in mirid populations collected in two ecoregions. Several new host-parasitoid associations were recorded for <i>P. digoneutis</i> and <i>P. relictus</i>, but parasitism of non-target mirids was low. <p>Parasitism of the target host collected from different plant species was evaluated to help clarify Peristenus host-plant associations. Despite the investigation of three different host plant species, no difference was observed in the parasitism level or parasitoid species composition in <i>L. rugulipennis</i>. The post-release utility of the multiplex assay was investigated in Canada, where Lygus parasitoids may have dispersed following release in the USA. To confirm establishment, samples were analyzed using the multiplex PCR assay, and P. digoneutis was detected for the first time in southern Ontario.

Lygus Hahn (Hemiptera: Miridae) are serious pests of economically important field, fruit, vegetable, and greenhouse crops in Canada. The release of European Peristenus Förster (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in the USA has resulted in significant suppression of this pest and has renewed interest in the release of European Peristenus spp. in Canada. Prior to the release of exotic Peristenus spp., ecological host range studies need to be conducted to define their habitat and host associations. <p>These associations can be difficult to study using conventional methods. Morphological similarity of related parasitoids prevents species-level identification by dissection. Host rearing is time-consuming and can result in high levels of host and parasitoid mortality. To facilitate identification of immature Peristenus spp. in their hosts, a multiplex PCR assay was developed. This assay provided a specific and sensitive tool to screen individual insects for three parasitoid species simultaneously. <p>To validate the utility of the multiplex PCR assay in ecological host range studies, parasitism and parasitoid species composition obtained using conventional and molecular techniques were compared. Molecular methods compared favorably with conventional methods; however, more complete species composition information was available with the multiplex assay. To improve the quality of risk assessment studies and extract the most accurate ecological host range data, molecular methods were used to evaluate host-parasitoid associations in mirid populations collected in two ecoregions. Several new host-parasitoid associations were recorded for <i>P. digoneutis</i> and <i>P. relictus</i>, but parasitism of non-target mirids was low. <p>Parasitism of the target host collected from different plant species was evaluated to help clarify Peristenus host-plant associations. Despite the investigation of three different host plant species, no difference was observed in the parasitism level or parasitoid species composition in <i>L. rugulipennis</i>. The post-release utility of the multiplex assay was investigated in Canada, where Lygus parasitoids may have dispersed following release in the USA. To confirm establishment, samples were analyzed using the multiplex PCR assay, and P. digoneutis was detected for the first time in southern Ontario.

University, Diss., 2004--Kiel.

In the agricultural muck soil area of southwestern Quebec, two native parasitoids, Peristenus pallipes and P. pseudopallipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) were found to parasitize nymphs of the tarnished plant bug Lygus lineolaris (Hemiptera: Miridae), on various flowering plants and on cultivated lettuce. Parasitism levels (ranging from 1.3% to 92.3%) varied with host plant species sampled, and with methods used for the calculation of percentage parasitism. The percentage parasitism of tarnished plant bug populations was expressed as pooled values from all samples in the season (method 1), and by the Southwood and Jepson's graphical method (method 2). Phenology of parasitism, defined as the time during which female parasitoids are active in the field, was evaluated for both native parasitoid species. The cold-hardiness of P. digoneutis, a European nymph parasitoid introduced in northern United States, was evaluated in the laboratory by measuring the supercooling point and cumulative cold damage at sub-zero temperatures. When compared to the native P. pallipes and P. pseudopallipes the exotic parasitoid showed the same capacity to withstand cold temperatures. Prior to introduction, the evaluation of the impact of P. digoneutis on indigenous species will require a rapid identification to species level. The development of immature stages of P. digoneutis was studied to find taxonomic and developmental differences between the three species. At $21 pm1 sp circ$C, the egg matures in five days, and there are three larval instars, the first two molting inside the host while the third emerges from the host, three to four weeks after egg deposition. Adult characters of the pre-imaginal stage can be used to distinguish the exotic P. digoneutis from the two native species since mouth sclerites of the final instar larvae of P. digoneutis, P. pallipes and P. pseudopallipes do not possess reliable distinguishing characters. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

No description available.