Enhancing the e V ectiveness of the parasitoid Diadegma semiclausum ( Helen ) : Movement after use of nectar in the W eld

Evidence is required to show that parasitoids are able to move between Xoral subsidies and the crop in suYcient numbers, and suYciently rapidly to improve pest suppression. Marking and tracking techniques can elucidate parasitoid movement and the spatial structure of their population, and therefore, help determine the crop area in which to manage. This, in turn, would help in the deployment of nectar and pollen as resource subsidies, as well as determining the optimal timing for their implementation. Over two successive seasons, experiments were carried out to determine the eVect of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) on the nutritional status and movement of the parasitoid Diadegma semiclausum and parasitism rates on its host Plutella xylostella. The number of parasitoids decreased signiWcantly with the distance from the Xowers; however, there was no trend in plots without Xowers. The percentage of fed females varied from 72.4 to 77.7% irrespective of treatment. Although the results suggest that the parasitoids can move 80 m in a short period, parasitism rates were lower in a non-Xower treated plot separated from a Xower treated plot by just 60 m. Parasitoid mobility alone will not give a complete indication of the spatial arrangement to follow to produce enhanced parasitism rates. There is a clear diVerence between how far a parasitoid can move and how far apart Xoral subsidies should be deployed.  2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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