| implications of predator foraging on aphid pathogen dynamics. | the foraging behavior of starved and nonstarved second and fourth instar coccinella septempunctata larvae on dead acyrthosiphon pisum aphids, either infected with the entomopathogenic fungus erynia neoaphidis (sporulating) or uninfected, was examined. larvae searched for longer and fed less when presented with infected rather than uninfected a. pisum. although no sporulating infected aphids were completely consumed, both adult and larval ladybirds can still be considered as intraguild predators. ... | 1998 | 9538028 |
| aphid specific predators in potato in belgium. | in summer 2003, aphid specific predators populations were sampled in four potato fields located in wallonia. ladybirds, hoverflies and lacewings were the most abundant predators collected. a total of 6 ladybird, 8 syrphid and 2 lacewing species was found. predator species composition and abundance greatly differed from field to field, while aphids populations were more or less similar with a peak of 3 to 5 aphid/potato leaf in mid-july. all chrysopidae sampled belong to the chrysoperla kolthoffi ... | 2004 | 15759406 |
| monitoring of the entomological diversity in a pesticide free orchard: investigation of the gembloux agricultural university conservatory. | in orchards, the fruit production is currently oriented to integrated pest management. in order to develop efficient pest control strategy by using entomophagous beneficial and lowering the application of pesticides, sufficient knowledge of entomological populations is needed. here, a systematic monitoring of insect diversity and abundance in a conservatory orchard of gembloux was performed. combining yellow traps and visual observations, 19 pest and 34 beneficial families were identified among ... | 2009 | 20222593 |
| conserved odorant-binding proteins from aphids and eavesdropping predators. | the sesquiterpene (e)-ß-farnesene is the main component of the alarm pheromone system of various aphid species studied to date, including the english grain aphid, sitobion avenae. aphid natural enemies, such as the marmalade hoverfly episyrphus balteatus and the multicolored asian lady beetle harmonia axyridis, eavesdrop on aphid chemical communication and utilize (e)-ß-farnesene as a kairomone to localize their immediate or offspring preys. these aphid-predator systems are important models to s ... | 2011 | 21912599 |
| comparative transcriptomics of early dipteran development. | modern sequencing technologies have massively increased the amount of data available for comparative genomics. whole-transcriptome shotgun sequencing (rna-seq) provides a powerful basis for comparative studies. in particular, this approach holds great promise for emerging model species in fields such as evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). | 2013 | 23432914 |
| hoverfly preference for high honeydew amounts creates enemy-free space for aphids colonizing novel host plants. | the existence of an enemy-free space can play an important role in aphid host race formation processes, but little is known about the mechanisms that create an area of low predation pressure on particular host plants. in this paper, we identify a mechanism generating lower predation pressure that promotes the maintenance of the different host races of the pea aphid (acyrthosiphon pisum) complex, a well-studied model for ecological speciation. the pea aphid consists of at least 15 genetically dis ... | 2016 | 27328648 |
| feeding history affects intraguild interactions between harmonia axyridis (coleoptera: coccinellidae) and episyrphus balteatus (diptera: syrphidae). | while the effect of several factors such as predator and prey size, morphology and developmental stage on intraguild predation (igp) is widely investigated, little is known about the influence of diet on the occurrence and outcome of igp. in the present study, the effect of the diet experienced during larval development on igp between the ladybird harmonia axyridis and the syrphid episyrphus balteatus is investigated. four diets were tested for h. axyridis: eggs of the mediterranean flour moth e ... | 2015 | 26030267 |
| inter- and intra-guild interactions related to aphids in nettle (urtica dioica l.) strips closed to field crops. | a field experiment designed to assess the biodiversity related to nettle strips closed to crops, and more particularly the aphid and related beneficial populations, was established in experimental farm located in gembloux (belgium). margin strips of nettle (urtica dioica) closed to wheat (triticum aestivum), green pea (pisum sativum) and rape (brassicae napus) fields were investigated. the diversity, abundance of aphids and related predators were analysed according to the plant crop species and ... | 2006 | 17385508 |
| the interplay between density- and trait-mediated effects in predator-prey interactions: a case study in aphid wing polymorphism. | natural enemies not only influence prey density but they can also cause the modification of traits in their victims. while such non-lethal effects can be very important for the dynamic and structure of prey populations, little is known about their interaction with the density-mediated effects of natural enemies. we investigated the relationship between predation rate, prey density and trait modification in two aphid-aphid predator interactions. pea aphids (acyrthosiphon pisum, harris) have been ... | 2003 | 12698353 |
| predominant effects of host plant species on aphis gossypii aphid and e. pisyrphus balteatus hoverfly in a tritrophic approach. | the aphid aphis gossypii glover (homoptera: aphididae) is known as worldwide important pest. it causes serious injuries to crops, but is also able to feed on various cultivated and wild plants. some programs are developped to control this aphid. in many studies, hoverfy episyrphus balteatus de geer (diptera: syrphidae) is used as an efficient and aphid specific predator in biological control systems. in this work, we study cotton aphid choice plant discrimination, the effect of host plants on it ... | 2011 | 22696952 |
| functional response of four syrphid predators associated with green apple aphid (hemiptera: aphididae) in laboratory. | aphis pomi de geer, the green apple aphid, is an economic pest of apple and other rosaceae throughout the world. in the present study, functional responses of the syrphids episyrphus balteatus de geer, eristalis tenax(l.), eristalis interruptus (poda), and sphaerophoria scripta (l.), to a. pomi were studied under laboratory conditions to determine their relative predatory potential. the second- and third-instar larvae of the predators were exposed to increasing densities of similar-sized a. pomi ... | 2016 | 26578626 |
| the use of common elder sambucus nigra to promote aphidophagous syrphids in apple orchards. | elder shrubs (sambucus nigra l.) were planted in an experimental apple orchard as bordering hedgerow with the objective of rearing syrphids (diptera: syrphidae) and consequently enhancing the biological control of the rosy apple aphid dysaphis plantaginea (passerini). the inoculative introduction of the specific elder aphid aphis sambuci l. (homoptera: aphididae) in late march 2002 and again in 2003 led to the complete hedgerow turning into an early and productive alternative prey reservoir for ... | 2005 | 16628887 |
| individual variation in oviposition preference, and its interaction with larval performance in an insect predator. | individual female episyrphus balteatus (degeer) (diptera: syrphidae) show different oviposition preferences when presented with two aphid prey species, aphis sambuci l. and a. fabae (scop). after larvae were reared on those aphids, some fitness components indicated that individual females were adapted to different host-use strategies, with preference for one aphid prey species entailing a trade-off in poorer performance on another. we interpret the pattern of significant interactions as suggesti ... | 1999 | 28307407 |
| genetic engineering of plant volatile terpenoids: effects on a herbivore, a predator and a parasitoid. | most insect-resistant transgenic crops employ toxins to control pests. a novel approach is to enhance the effectiveness of natural enemies by genetic engineering of the biosynthesis of volatile organic compounds (vocs). before the commercialisation of such transgenic plants can be pursued, detailed fundamental studies of their effects on herbivores and their natural enemies are necessary. the linalool/nerolidol synthase gene fanes1 was constitutively expressed from strawberry in three arabidopsi ... | 2013 | 22933413 |
| herbivore-mediated effects of glucosinolates on different natural enemies of a specialist aphid. | the cabbage aphid brevicoryne brassicae is a specialist herbivore that sequesters glucosinolates from its host plant as a defense against its predators. it is unknown to what extent parasitoids are affected by this sequestration. we investigated herbivore-mediated effects of glucosinolates on the parasitoid wasp diaeretiella rapae and the predator episyrphus balteatus. we reared b. brassicae on three ecotypes of arabidopsis thaliana that differ in glucosinolate content and on one genetically tra ... | 2012 | 22258357 |
| new insights of side-effects of tau-fluvalinate on biological agents and pollinators. | a high number of side-effects trials were developed and carried out on beneficial insects and mites by the 'side-effects on beneficial organisms' iobc working group and subsequently published in the iobc bulletins over a number of years. in general, these tests were mainly carried out under laboratory and/or semi-field conditions following the very worst case scenario applications, leading to an iobc classification of 3 (moderately toxic) and 4 (harmful) for many of the tested compounds however, ... | 2015 | 27145571 |
| hover flies are efficient pollinators of oilseed rape. | understanding the consequences of declining diversity and abundance of pollinators for crops and floral biodiversity is a major challenge for current conservation ecology. however, most studies on this issue focus on bees, while other invertebrate taxa are largely ignored. we investigated the pollination efficiency of the globally abundant hover fly episyrphus balteatus on the common crop, oilseed rape (brassica napus). the study was conducted over a period of 2 consecutive years by means of enc ... | 2008 | 18438687 |
| oviposition preferences of episyrphus balteatus. | a crucial aspect of predator oviposition behaviour is host plant choice, especially in hoverflies where the newly hatched offspring are unable to move a great distance to search for the appropriate prey. such offspring must generally feed on the host plant aphids previously selected by the mother. some factors involved in the selection of the oviposition site of episyrphus balteatus de geer include aphids associated to chemical stimuli, aphid colony size and host plant characteristics. here we t ... | 2001 | 12425047 |
| a syrphid fly uses olfactory cues to find a non-yellow flower. | syrphid flies are frequent flower visitors, but little is known about the cues they use to find flowers. we determined the importance of visual and olfactory cues in a flight cage bioassay using cirsium arvense (asteraceae) flower heads and experienced episyrphus balteatus (diptera, syrphidae). we tested the response of antennae of the flies to headspace inflorescence scent samples by using gas chromatography coupled to electroantennography (gc-ead). the bioassays revealed that both sexes of exp ... | 2010 | 20924654 |
| is the multicolored asian ladybeetle, harmonia axyridis, the most abundant natural enemy to aphids in agroecosystems? | the multicolored asian ladybeetle, harmonia axyridis pallas (coleoptera: coccinellidae), was introduced into western europe in the late 1990s. since the late 2000s, this species has been commonly considered one of the most abundant aphid predators in most western european countries. in spite of the large amount of research on h. axyridis, information concerning its relative abundance in agroecosystems is lacking. this study aims to evaluate the abundance of h. axyridis within the aphidophage com ... | 2013 | 24785375 |
| intraguild interactions of aphidophagous predators in fields: effect of coccinella septempunctata and episyrphus balteatus occurrence on aphid infested plants. | intraguild relations between beneficial insects have become a major research topic in biological pest control. in order to understand the intraguild competitions between aphidophagous populations in natural conditions, a field experiment was carried out in the experimental farm of the gembloux agricultural university. as biological control of pests involve a community of diverse natural enemies, this experiment firstly aimed to assess the aphidophagous predator diversity and abundance in green p ... | 2007 | 18399466 |
| provisioning floral resources to attract aphidophagous hoverflies (diptera: syrphidae) useful for pest management in central spain. | noncrop plant communities present on the boundaries or within crop fields are essential for the maintenance of functional biodiversity, affecting beneficial insect numbers and ecological fitness. habitat manipulation is an increasingly studied strategy aimed at enhancing natural enemies of agricultural pests by providing feeding and shelter resources. in this study, six plant species selected from preliminary work were tested for their potential attractiveness to four common aphidophagous hoverf ... | 2013 | 24498730 |
| maternal co-ordinate gene regulation and axis polarity in the scuttle fly megaselia abdita. | axis specification and segment determination in dipteran insects are an excellent model system for comparative analyses of gene network evolution. antero-posterior polarity of the embryo is established through systems of maternal morphogen gradients. in drosophila melanogaster, the anterior system acts through opposing gradients of bicoid (bcd) and caudal (cad), while the posterior system involves nanos (nos) and hunchback (hb) protein. these systems act redundantly. both bcd and hb need to be e ... | 2015 | 25757102 |
| bmp signaling components in embryonic transcriptomes of the hover fly episyrphus balteatus (syrphidae). | in animals, signaling of bone morphogenetic proteins (bmps) is essential for dorsoventral (dv) patterning of the embryo, but how bmp signaling evolved with changes in embryonic dv differentiation is largely unclear. based on the extensive knowledge of bmp signaling in drosophila melanogaster, the morphological diversity of extraembryonic tissues in different fly species provides a comparative system to address this question. the closest relatives of d. melanogaster with clearly distinct dv diffe ... | 2011 | 21627820 |
| what makes episyrphus balteatus (diptera: syrphidae) oviposit on aphid infested tomato plants? | under attack by insect pests, many plant species change their volatile chemical emissions to attract natural enemies. most of the tomato (lycopersicon sp., solanaceae) varieties are subjected to infestation by molluscs and insects, including the generalist aphid myzus persicae sulzer (homoptera, aphididae). episyrphus balteatus de geer (diptera: syrphidae) is a generalist aphid predator that was here observed to lay eggs on m. persicae infested tomato but not on non-infested plants. in order to ... | 2008 | 19226776 |
| pesticides selectivity list to beneficial arthropods in four field vegetable crops. | selectivity of pesticides to beneficial arthropods is a key data for the implementation of ipm program. in the context of field vegetables crop, a set of 16 fungicides, 17 herbicides and 14 insecticides commonly used in belgium were tested on 5 indicator species: the parasitic hymenoptera aphidius rhopalosiphi (de stefani-perez) (hym., aphidiidae), the aphid foliage dwelling predators adalia bipunctata (l.) (col., coccinellidae) and episyrphus balteatus (dipt., syrphidae) and the ground-dwelling ... | 2007 | 18399430 |
| evaluation of hoverfly episyrphus balteatus de geer (diptera: syrphidae) oviposition behaviour toward aphid-infested plants using a leaf disc system. | several aphidophagous beneficials such as parasitoids and predators are known to respond positively to aphid infested plants. semiochemicals from the latter association play an important role in the foraging of predators in a tritrophic approach. in this work, three host plants infested with green peach aphid, myzus persicae sulzer were used to study the effect of prey density and aphid colony location on plant toward episyrphus balteatus female. their reproductive behaviour and efficiency (in t ... | 2006 | 17385507 |
| encounters with aphid predators or their residues impede searching and oviposition by the aphid parasitoid aphidius ervi (hymenoptera: aphidiinae). | intraguild predation (igp) can be an important factor influencing the effectiveness of aphid natural enemies in biological control. in particular, aphid parasitoid foraging could be influenced by the presence of predators. this study investigated the effect of larvae of the predatory hoverfly episyrphus balteatus degeer (diptera: syrphidae) and the multicolored asian ladybird harmonia axyridis pallas (coleoptera: coccinellidae) on the foraging behavior of the aphid parasitoid, aphidius ervi hali ... | 2014 | 23955963 |
| aphid and plant volatiles induce oviposition in an aphidophagous hoverfly. | episyrphus balteatus degeer (diptera, syrphidae) is an abundant and efficient aphid-specific predator. we tested the electroantennographic (eag) response of this syrphid fly to the common aphid alarm pheromone, (e)-beta-farnesene (ebetaf), and to several plant volatiles, including terpenoids (mono- and sesquiterpenes) and green leaf volatiles (c6 and c9 alcohols and aldehydes). monoterpenes evoked significant eag responses, whereas sesquiterpenes were inactive, except for the aphid alarm pheromo ... | 2008 | 18253796 |
| internal labelling of the eggs of the aphidophagous hoverfly episyrphus balteatus (de geer) (diptera: syrphidae) with a fluorescent dye. | a method was developed to label the egg load of episyrphus balteatus (de geer) (diptera: syrphidae) by feeding adult females with the fluorescent dye rhodamine b. in a preliminary experiment aimed at selecting an appropriate dye concentration, gravid females reared in insectary conditions were provided for two successive days with a 50% honey-water solution enriched with rhodamine b at concentrations of 0.1%, 0.01% and 0.001%. eggs deposited on aphid-infested broad bean plants by syrphid females ... | 2005 | 16628909 |
| chemosensory genes in the antennal transcriptome of two syrphid species, episyrphus balteatus and eupeodes corollae (diptera: syrphidae). | predatory syrphid larvae are an important natural enemy of aphids in cotton agro-ecosystems in china. their behaviors in prey foraging, localization and oviposition greatly rely on the perception of chemical cues. as a first step to better understand syrphid olfaction at the molecular level, we have performed a systematic identification of their major chemosensory genes. | 2017 | 28784086 |
| day length constrains the time budget of aphid predators. | phenology shifts and range expansions cause organisms to experience novel day length - temperature correlations. depending on the temporal niche, organisms may benefit or suffer from changes in day length, thus potentially affecting phenological adaptation. we assessed the impact of day length changes on larvae of chrysoperla carnea (stephens) and episyrphus balteatus (de geer), both of which prey on aphids. larvae of e. balteatus are night-active, whereas those of c. carnea appear to be crepusc ... | 2017 | 28726267 |
| mitochondrial genomes of the hoverflies episyrphus balteatus and eupeodes corollae (diptera: syrphidae), with a phylogenetic analysis of muscomorpha. | the hoverflies episyrphus balteatus and eupeodes corollae (diptera: muscomorpha: syrphidae) are important natural aphid predators. we obtained mitochondrial genome sequences from these two species using methods of pcr amplification and sequencing. the complete episyrphus mitochondrial genome is 16,175 bp long while the incomplete one of eupeodes is 15,326 bp long. all 37 typical mitochondrial genes are present in both species and arranged in ancestral positions and directions. the two mitochondr ... | 2017 | 28276531 |
| behavioural evidence for a visual and proprioceptive control of head roll in hoverflies (episyrphus balteatus). | the ability of hoverflies to control their head orientation with respect to their body contributes importantly to their agility and their autonomous navigation abilities. many tasks performed by this insect during flight, especially while hovering, involve a head stabilization reflex. this reflex, which is mediated by multisensory channels, prevents the visual processing from being disturbed by motion blur and maintains a consistent perception of the visual environment. the so-called dorsal ligh ... | 2015 | 26486370 |
| does metabolic rate and evaporative water loss reflect differences in migratory strategy in sexually dimorphic hoverflies? | a typical explanation for ecologically stable strategies that apply to only a proportion of a population, is bet hedging, where increased reproductive success offsets reduced reproductive rate. one such is partial migration, where only a proportion of a population moves seasonally to avoid inclement climatic conditions. bet hedging may overlook unseen costs to maintain broad physiological resilience, implied by encountering a breadth of environmental conditions. we investigated the physiological ... | 2015 | 26384457 |
| migration and dispersal may drive to high genetic variation and significant genetic mixing: the case of two agriculturally important, continental hoverflies (episyrphus balteatus and sphaerophoria scripta). | population structure of pests and beneficial species is an important issue when designing management strategies to optimize ecosystem services. in this study, we investigated for the first time the population structure at a continental scale of two migratory species of hoverflies providing both pest regulation and pollination services [episyrphus balteatus and sphaerophoria scripta (diptera: syrphidae)]. to achieve this objective, we used two sets of 12 species-specific microsatellite markers on ... | 2013 | 24138027 |
| lack of genetic differentiation between contrasted overwintering strategies of a major pest predator episyrphus balteatus (diptera: syrphidae): implications for biocontrol. | winter ecology of natural enemies has a great influence on the level and efficiency of biological control at spring. the hoverfly episyrphus balteatus (degeer) (diptera: syrphidae) is one of the most important natural predators of crop aphids in europe. three different overwintering strategies coexist in this species which makes it a good model in order to study ecologically-based speciation processes. the purpose of this study was to determine whether e. balteatus populations with alternative o ... | 2013 | 24023799 |
| a new look at the comparative physiology of insect and human hearts. | recent electrocardiographic (ecg) studies of insect hearts revealed the presence of human-like, involuntary and purely myogenic hearts. certain insects, like a small light-weight species of hoverfly (episyrphus balteatus), have evolved a very efficient cardiac system comprised of a compact heart ventricle and a narrow tube of aorta, which evolved as an adaptation to sustained hovering flights. application of thermocardiographic and optocardiographic ecg methods revealed that adult flies of this ... | 2012 | 22609364 |
| can deuterium stable isotope values be used to assign the geographic origin of an auxiliary hoverfly in south-western france? | deuterium δd isotopic analysis is increasingly being used to trace wildlife movement, and undoubtedly has much to offer in this respect, but questions still remain as to the feasibility and practicality of the method in ecology. here we report our attempt to determine the geographic origin of an auxiliary hoverfly, episyrphus balteatus, in south-western france. we used quantile regression to calculate the minimum separation distance, based on the international atomic energy agency/world meteorol ... | 2011 | 21913257 |
| maternal activation of gap genes in the hover fly episyrphus. | the metameric organization of the insect body plan is initiated with the activation of gap genes, a set of transcription-factor-encoding genes that are zygotically expressed in broad and partially overlapping domains along the anteroposterior (ap) axis of the early embryo. the spatial pattern of gap gene expression domains along the ap axis is generally conserved, but the maternal genes that regulate their expression are not. building on the comprehensive knowledge of maternal gap gene activatio ... | 2010 | 20430746 |
| flower orientation enhances pollen transfer in bilaterally symmetrical flowers. | zygomorphic flowers are usually more complex than actinomorphic flowers and are more likely to be visited by specialized pollinators. complex zygomorphic flowers tend to be oriented horizontally. it is hypothesized that a horizontal flower orientation ensures effective pollen transfer by facilitating pollinator recognition (the recognition-facilitation hypothesis) and/or pollinator landing (the landing-control hypothesis). to examine these two hypotheses, we altered the angle of commelina commun ... | 2009 | 19333624 |
| pollination by deceit in paphiopedilum barbigerum (orchidaceae): a staminode exploits the innate colour preferences of hoverflies (syrphidae). | paphiopedilum barbigerum t. tang et f. t. wang, a slipper orchid native to southwest china and northern vietnam, produces deceptive flowers that are self-compatible but incapable of mechanical self-pollination (autogamy). the flowers are visited by females of allograpta javana and episyrphus balteatus (syrphidae) that disperse the orchid's massulate pollen onto the receptive stigmas. measurements of insect bodies and floral architecture show that the physical dimensions of these two fly species ... | 2009 | 19121110 |
| evidence for a composite anterior determinant in the hover fly episyrphus balteatus (syrphidae), a cyclorrhaphan fly with an anterodorsal serosa anlage. | most insect embryos develop from a monolayer of cells around the yolk, but only part of this blastoderm forms the embryonic rudiment. another part forms extra-embryonic serosa. size and position of the serosa anlage vary between species, and previous work raises the issue of whether such differences co-evolve with the mechanisms that establish anteroposterior (ap) polarity of the embryo. ap polarity of the drosophila embryo depends on bicoid, which is necessary and sufficient to determine the an ... | 2009 | 19060334 |
| how does the age of hoverfly females affect their reproduction? | in the present study, we observed the effect of age of episyrphus balteatus degeer (diptera, syrphidae) females on their fecundity and fertility (number and percentage of fertile eggs). eight newborn e. batteatus couples were placed in separated cages (30 cm x 30 cm x 60 cm) and the number of eggs laid and the egg viability were recorded daily during 45 days. e. balteatus females had a pre-oviposition period of 10 days before mating happened. the fecundity increased steadily from day 11 to day 1 ... | 2007 | 18399480 |
| using stable isotopes to trace origin and host plants of an african polyphagous pest and an european beneficial insect. | crop protection against insect pests requires first a good knowledge of the biology and ecology of the different pest species and the associated beneficials, in particular the spatial distribution of the populations. but the movement of insect populations in the landscape remains often poorly known and in some cases does not make it possible to know the role of the various cultivated and wild habitats in the dynamics of pest and useful insects. stable isotopes are a tool contributing to the know ... | 2007 | 18399465 |
| evolutionary origin of the amnioserosa in cyclorrhaphan flies correlates with spatial and temporal expression changes of zen. | higher cyclorrhaphan flies including drosophila develop a single extraembryonic epithelium (amnioserosa), which closes the germband dorsally. in most other insects two extraembryonic epithelia, serosa and amnion, line the inner eggshell and the ventral germband, respectively. how the two extraembryonic epithelia evolved into one is unclear. recent studies have shown that, in the flour beetle tribolium and in the milkweed bug oncopeltus, the homeobox gene zerknüllt (zen) controls the fusion of th ... | 2008 | 18172205 |
| selectivity lists of pesticides to beneficial arthropods for ipm programs in carrot--first results. | in order to improve ipm programs in carrot, 7 fungicides, 12 herbicides and 9 insecticides commonly used in belgium were tested for their toxicity towards five beneficial arthropods representative of most important natural enemies encountered in carrot: parasitic wasps - aphidius rhopalosiphi (de stefani-perez) (hym., aphidiidae), ladybirds - adalia bipunctata (l.) (col., coccinellidae), hoverfly - episyrphus balteatus (dipt.. syrphidae), rove beetle - aleochara bilineata (col., staphylinidae) a ... | 2005 | 16628889 |
| restriction fragment length polymorphisms of different dna regions as genetic markers in the hoverfly episyrphus balteatus (diptera: syrphidae). | a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) analysis using mitochondrial (a+t-rich region; mtdna) and genomic (zen-region; ndna) dna was performed on 182 female individuals of episyrphus balteatus (degeer), a widespread aphidophagous hoverfly with supposed migratory behaviour. specimens originated from 13 sampling sites in six european countries. the analyses revealed 12 and 18 haplotypes, respectively, for the two dna types, several of them with a wide distri ... | 2005 | 16048683 |
| drawing-up of pesticide selectivity lists to beneficial arthropods for ipm programmes in potato. | in order to promote ipm programmes in potato, the toxicity of 19 fungicides, 4 herbicides and 11 insecticides commonly used in this crop in belgium was assessed on three beneficial arthropods. these species were representative of the most important aphid specific natural enemies encountered in potatoes: a parasitic wasp--aphidius rhopalosiphi (de stefani-perez) (hym., aphidiidae), a ladybird--adalia bipunctata (l.) (col., coccinellidae) and a hoverfly--episyrphus balteatus (dipt., syrphidae). in ... | 2004 | 15759409 |
| colour pattern plasticity in the hoverfly, episyrphus balteatus: the critical immature stage and reaction norm on developmental temperature. | episyrphus balteatus is phenotypically plastic with respect to abdominal colour pattern. it was hypothesized that developmental temperature was the environmental cue governing this plasticity. the length of different immature stages was manipulated by altering the rearing temperatures. it was shown that all stages of the pupal developmental period were equally important in influencing adult phenotype. lengthened pupal period, achieved by reducing rearing temperature, resulted in darker individua ... | 1998 | 12769883 |
| oviposition behaviour and host colony size discrimination in episyrphus balteatus (diptera: syrphidae). | three bioassays were used to examine the oviposition behaviour of the hoverfly, episyrphus balteatus (degeer) in which various stimuli purported to influence host assessment and choice were tested. episyrphus balteatus failed to exhibit enhanced behavioural responses, in terms of approaches and landings, to artificial leaves with the highest numbers of aphids, suggesting that females are merely responding to the colour of the artificial leaves. a density-dependent oviposition response was report ... | 2001 | 11583602 |
| scale effects on the attachment pads and friction forces in syrphid flies (diptera, syrphidae). | to test the role of constructional and dimensional factors in the generation of friction force by systems of setose attachment pads, six species of syrphid fly (platycheirus angustatus, sphaerophoria scripta, episyrphus balteatus, eristalis tenax, myathropa florea and volucella pellucens) were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. flies were selected according to their various body mass and attachment pad dimensions. such variables as pad area, setal density, the area of a single ... | 2001 | 11273804 |
| aphid suitability and its relationship to oviposition preference in predatory hoverflies. | 1. the fitness consequences of feeding on different aphids (apple, blackberry, dock, elder, nettle, pea, rose and sycamore aphids) for two species of generalist insect predator (the aphidophagous larvae of episyrphus balteatus and syrphus ribesii- diptera:syrphidae) were measured in the laboratory. the relevant literature studies on prey specialization in the syrphidae were summarized for the first time. 2. both the literature evidence reviewed and the data from the experiment indicated that fit ... | 2000 | 29313989 |