Brewer, M.J., T.Noma, M. Kaiser and S. Langley,
Presented at the All Scientist Poster Reception (2006-05-09 )
Aphid-specialist enemies in soybean and surrounding habitats (alfalfa, corn, wheat-clover, and non-crop vegetation) were evaluated for their potential to attack Aphis glycines, the invasive soybean aphid. A substantial group of aphid-enemies, 8 parasitoids and 8 predatory flies, attacked A. glycines that were artificially placed in soybean and other habitats commonly found in soybean production areas. Habitat fidelity of the enemies varied. Of the parasitoids, Lysiphlebus testaceipes was the most common attacking A. glycines. It was found in most habitats including soybean and became abundant when A. glycines populations peaked. An undescribed Binodoxys (new species) was readily able to parasitize A. glycines, but almost exclusively in noncrop vegetation. And the parasitoid Aphelinus albipodus rarely parasitized A. glycines in all habitats visited but readily parasitized Rhopalosiphum padi on corn. Predatory flies as a whole more frequently attacked A. glycines than parasitoids. The cecidomyiid, Aphidoletes aphidimyza, was particularly abundant. Predatory flies were less habitat specific compared with parasitoids, although selected syrphid species appeared to have considerable habitat fidelity. Overall, the enemy fauna utilizing A. glycines on soybean was lower in species number (5 parasitoids and 6 predatory flies) and abundance for some species (up to 90% lower) compared with the enemy fauna utilizing A. glycines that was artificially placed in alfalfa, corn, wheat-clover, and non-crop vegetation.
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