Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 105663 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Biological Control |
| Volume | 199 |
| Early online date | 28 Nov 2024 |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2024 |
Abstract
Recent studies demonstrated that blue and UV light effectively disturb greenhouse whiteflies (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) from a host plant (“push”), enhancing their capture on attractive traps after dispersal (“pull”). This push–pull technique could contribute to whitefly biocontrol and lead to the development of mass trapping. However, the impact of these wavelengths on the behavior of whitefly natural enemies, commonly deployed for biocontrol, remains underexplored. This study investigated the response of two important whitefly biocontrol agents, Macrolophus pygmaeus and Encarsia formosa, to blue and UV light. Initial experiments were conducted under artificial conditions (no prey/host and plant present) to isolate their visual behavior to these lights, excluding other stimuli. In follow up experiments, the effect of these lights was assessed in a more complex scenario, involving prey/host (whitefly nymphs) on tomato leaves. Results revealed that both M. pygmaeus and E. formosa exhibited avoidance behavior under blue and UV LEDs in the artificial setup, irrespective of ambient light or dark conditions. Contrastingly, in presence of prey/host on tomato leaves, only M. pygmaeus was significantly disturbed by UV light, whereas in all other scenarios there was little to no effect of blue and UV LEDs on the behavior of these natural enemies. These findings enhance our understanding on the visual behavior of crucial biocontrol agents and highlight the importance of refining targeted whitefly control techniques that minimize impacts on beneficial insects and optimize the use of LEDs in integrated pest management (IPM).
Keywords
- Biological control, Color vision, Decision support, Insect dispersal, Integrated pest management, Natural enemies, Visual behavior
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Agronomy and Crop Science
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Insect Science
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In: Biological Control, Vol. 199, 105663, 12.2024.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The effect of blue and UV light-emitted diodes (LEDs) on the disturbance of the whitefly natural enemies Macrolophus pygmaeus and Encarsia formosa
AU - Athanasiadou, Maria
AU - Schulz, Madita
AU - Meyhöfer, Rainer
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Recent studies demonstrated that blue and UV light effectively disturb greenhouse whiteflies (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) from a host plant (“push”), enhancing their capture on attractive traps after dispersal (“pull”). This push–pull technique could contribute to whitefly biocontrol and lead to the development of mass trapping. However, the impact of these wavelengths on the behavior of whitefly natural enemies, commonly deployed for biocontrol, remains underexplored. This study investigated the response of two important whitefly biocontrol agents, Macrolophus pygmaeus and Encarsia formosa, to blue and UV light. Initial experiments were conducted under artificial conditions (no prey/host and plant present) to isolate their visual behavior to these lights, excluding other stimuli. In follow up experiments, the effect of these lights was assessed in a more complex scenario, involving prey/host (whitefly nymphs) on tomato leaves. Results revealed that both M. pygmaeus and E. formosa exhibited avoidance behavior under blue and UV LEDs in the artificial setup, irrespective of ambient light or dark conditions. Contrastingly, in presence of prey/host on tomato leaves, only M. pygmaeus was significantly disturbed by UV light, whereas in all other scenarios there was little to no effect of blue and UV LEDs on the behavior of these natural enemies. These findings enhance our understanding on the visual behavior of crucial biocontrol agents and highlight the importance of refining targeted whitefly control techniques that minimize impacts on beneficial insects and optimize the use of LEDs in integrated pest management (IPM).
AB - Recent studies demonstrated that blue and UV light effectively disturb greenhouse whiteflies (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) from a host plant (“push”), enhancing their capture on attractive traps after dispersal (“pull”). This push–pull technique could contribute to whitefly biocontrol and lead to the development of mass trapping. However, the impact of these wavelengths on the behavior of whitefly natural enemies, commonly deployed for biocontrol, remains underexplored. This study investigated the response of two important whitefly biocontrol agents, Macrolophus pygmaeus and Encarsia formosa, to blue and UV light. Initial experiments were conducted under artificial conditions (no prey/host and plant present) to isolate their visual behavior to these lights, excluding other stimuli. In follow up experiments, the effect of these lights was assessed in a more complex scenario, involving prey/host (whitefly nymphs) on tomato leaves. Results revealed that both M. pygmaeus and E. formosa exhibited avoidance behavior under blue and UV LEDs in the artificial setup, irrespective of ambient light or dark conditions. Contrastingly, in presence of prey/host on tomato leaves, only M. pygmaeus was significantly disturbed by UV light, whereas in all other scenarios there was little to no effect of blue and UV LEDs on the behavior of these natural enemies. These findings enhance our understanding on the visual behavior of crucial biocontrol agents and highlight the importance of refining targeted whitefly control techniques that minimize impacts on beneficial insects and optimize the use of LEDs in integrated pest management (IPM).
KW - Biological control
KW - Color vision
KW - Decision support
KW - Insect dispersal
KW - Integrated pest management
KW - Natural enemies
KW - Visual behavior
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85210530535&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105663
DO - 10.1016/j.biocontrol.2024.105663
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85210530535
VL - 199
JO - Biological Control
JF - Biological Control
SN - 1049-9644
M1 - 105663
ER -