Aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) in wetland habitats in western palaearctic: Key and associated aphid parasitoid guilds

Željko Tomanović, Petr Starý, Nickolas G. Kavallieratos, Vesna Gagić, Milan Plećas˘, Marina Janković, Ehsan Rakhshani, Aleksandar Ćetković, Anđeljko Petrović

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

This paper presents over 66 tritrophic parasitoid-aphid-plant associations from wetland habitats in western Palaearctic, comprising 24 parasitoid species, 24 aphid hosts and over 30 plant species, based on records from 25 countries. Seven new associations are documented. About half of the established tritrophic associations (34) were recorded rarely, while 6 associations have been documented more than 100 times each, based on 4 common and widespread Aphidiinae species. The majority of recorded parasitoid species (16) are involved in only 1–2 tritrophic associations, 7 species were recorded in 3–5 associations, and one species (Praon necans) is a member of even 16 different associations based on wetland habitats. Generally, the most frequently recorded associations are based on some very common and widespread parasitoids not specific for this class of habitats. On the basis of distribution, host range and habitat specialization we have divided aphid parasitoid associations in wetland habitats into three ecological categories. The most specialized group, containing rarely recorded parasitoid species whose distribution and aphid hosts are strictly associated with wetland habitats, is potentially highly vulnerable to extinction. The role of aphids associated with wetland habitats as reservoirs for economically important parasitoid species is discussed and a key for the identification of aphid parasitoids in wetland habitats is provided.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)189-198
Number of pages10
JournalAnnales de la Societe Entomologique de France
Volume48
Issue number1-2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2012

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Acknowledgments. We would like to thank Olivera Petrović-Obradović (Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade) for aphid identification and Vladimir Žikić (Faculty of Sciences, University of Niš) for technical assistance. This research was partially supported by the Grant 043001 (The Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia) and the Entomology Institute project AV0Z50070508 (Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic).

Keywords

  • Aphid parasitoids
  • Tritrophic interactions
  • Wetlands

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