Exploiting chemical ecology to manage hyperparasitoids in biological control of arthropod pests.

ABSTRACT: Insect hyperparasitoids are fourth trophic level organisms that commonly occur in terrestrial food webs, yet they are relatively understudied. These top-carnivores can disrupt biological pest control by suppressing the populations of their parasitoid hosts, leading to pest outbreaks, especially in confined environments such as greenhouses where augmentative biological control is used. There is no effective eco-friendly strategy that can be used to control hyperparasitoids. Recent advances in the chemical ecology of hyperparasitoid foraging behavior have opened opportunities for manipulating these top-carnivores in such a way that biological pest control becomes more efficient. We propose various infochemical-based strategies to manage hyperparasitoids. We suggest that a push-pull strategy

SUBMITTER: Cusumano A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7004005 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature