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Yacon as an alternative host plant for Encarsia formosa mass‐rearing: validating a multinomial theorem for bootstrap technique in life table research
Author(s) -
Zhao Yue,
Zhao ChunLi,
Yang Xiangbing,
Chi Hsin,
Dai Peng,
Desneux Nicolas,
Benelli Giovanni,
Zang LianSheng
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.6259
Subject(s) - trialeurodes , biology , population dynamics , host (biology) , parasitoid , fecundity , aphelinidae , botany , homoptera , greenhouse whitefly , horticulture , parasitism , yacón , toxicology , pest analysis , ecology , population , demography , sociology
BACKGROUND Yacon ( Smallanthus sonchifolius ) is a broadleaf host plant suitable for rearing the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood). Here, the possibility of using yacon as an alternative host plant for production of the parasitoid, Encarsia formosa Gahan, one of the most important natural enemies of whiteflies, was explored. Data on the demographic characteristics, parasitism rate, and host‐feeding rate were collected and analyzed using the TWOSEX‐MSChart, CONSUME‐MSChart, and TIMING‐MSChart computer programs, and then contrasted with comparable data from the more commonly utilized host plant, tobacco. RESULTS Higher fecundity ( F ) (190.13 eggs/female) and more oviposition days ( O d ) (16.60 days) were observed in E. formosa when yacon was used as the host plant for rearing T. vaporariorum , compared with when tobacco was used ( F = 150.13 eggs/female, O d = 15.27 days). The intrinsic rate of increase ( r ), finite rate of increase ( λ ), and net reproduction rate ( R 0 ) were significantly higher in E. formosa parasitizing T. vaporariorum reared on yacon compared with those parasitizing tobacco‐reared T. vaporariorum . Furthermore, the net host‐feeding rate ( C 0 = 40.87 prey/parasitoid), net killing rate ( Z 0 = 239.73 prey/parasitoid), and finite killing rate ( υ = 0.2560/day) for E. formosa on yacon‐reared whiteflies were significantly higher than those from tobacco‐reared whiteflies. CONCLUSION Our results showed that yacon is more suitable than tobacco as a host plant for mass‐rearing E. formosa for biological control programs to manage whiteflies. An innovative application of the multinomial theorem for calculating the exact probability of bootstrap samples in life table research was also introduced. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry