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Parasitoid communities and interactions with Diuraphis noxia in Australian cereal production systems

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Abstract

New information is presented on previously introduced aphid parasitoids using the newly arrived Russian wheat aphid (RWA), Diuraphis noxia Kurdjumov 1913 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in South Australia including species diversity and relative abundance, population dynamics and regional differences in communities. In total, eight species of primary braconids (Hymenoptera) were identified from D. noxia: Aphidius colemani Viereck, 1912 A. platensis Brèthes 1913, A. ervi Haliday 1834 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), A. rhopalosiphi De Stefani Perez, 1902, A. salicis Haliday, 1834, A. smithi Sharma and Subba Rao, 1959, Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh, 1855) and Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson, 1880). The predominant parasitoids of D. noxia were D. rapae, A. colemani and A. platensis which was consistent across regions. This study indicates the pre-emptive importation of biological control agents (generalist parasitoid wasps) contributed to limiting an invasive pest. Data presented provides a baseline for further research on parasitoid species to reduce D. noxia, a new pest species in Australian cereal ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge and thank Jo Kent for her help with the genetics, Helen Brodie for help with identification, Courtney Proctor, Millie Moore and Clare Svilans for help with the field work and finally Hannah Wittwer for helping edit the manuscript. We would also like to thank the reviewers and editors for their helpful advice in getting the manuscript to a publishable level.

Funding

This work was supported by South Australian Grain Industry Trust Fund [S1117] and Grains Research and Development Corporation [UOA1805-018RTX].

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  1. Entomology, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Main Waite Building, Waite Road, Urrbrae, SA, 5064, Australia

    Thomas Heddle, Maarten Van Helden, Michael Nash & Kate Muirhead

  2. School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Waite Campus, Waite Road, Urrbrae, SA, 5064, Australia

    Thomas Heddle, Maarten Van Helden, Michael Nash & Kate Muirhead

  3. School of Life Science, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, 3086, Australia

    Michael Nash

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  1. Thomas Heddle
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Correspondence to Thomas Heddle.

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Heddle, T., Van Helden, M., Nash, M. et al. Parasitoid communities and interactions with Diuraphis noxia in Australian cereal production systems. BioControl 65, 571–582 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-020-10030-1

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