Predation by Anthocoris minki pistaciae Wagner (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) on Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt and Lauterer (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) at different temperatures

Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control Sarnevesht et al. Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control (2018) 28:76 https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-018-0075-7 RESEARCH Open Access Predation by Anthocoris minki pistaciae Wagner (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) on Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt and Lauterer (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) at different temperatures Mahshid Sarnevesht1, Mehdi Gheibi1* , Shahram Hesami1 and Hadi Zohdi2 Abstract Pistachio is one of the most common tree nuts in Iran and in the world, and Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt and Lauterer (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) is propounded as a considerable pest of pistachio trees. Among the numerous predators, Anthocoris minki pistaciae Wagner (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) was found as a common species in pistachio orchards of Kerman Province, Iran. The consumption rate index is essential to determine the prey-predator interaction and efficiency for biological control. On the other hand, temperature as an abiotic environmental factor has an important influence on population parameters of insects. Thus, predation rate of A. minki pistaciae feeding on A. pistaciae was evaluated at three different temperatures (17, 26, and 30 ± 2 °C) with a 16L:8D photoperiod and 55 ± 5% R.H. All of the data were analyzed by the age-stage, two-sex consumption rate, MS Chart software (Ver. 2017.05.28). Obtained results showed that the highest net predation rate (C0) and the transformation rate from prey population to predator offspring (Qp) occurred at 30 °C (1309.13 and 54.67 prey nymphs, respectively). Moreover, the highest value for the mean prey consumption of adult insects was (1300.15 psyllid nymphs) and the highest daily mean consumption rate was calculated at this temperature. Thereupon, 30 °C is the best temperature for feeding A. minki pistaciae under the laboratory conditions. Keywords: Agonoscena pistaciae, Anthocoris minki pistaciae, Prey consumption, Temperature Background Pistachio is globally valuable due to its nutritional value, economic significance, and important role in health (Kashaninejad and Tabil 2011). Kerman Province (in the southern part of Iran) is the largest pistachioproducing area in Iran (FAO 2016). The specific climatic conditions for the cultivation of pistachio (such as wilderness and dry areas with long and hot summers, cold winters, and low-quality soil, and salted water) have resulted in the spread of pests in pistachio orchards (Hosseinifard et al. 2008). Many phytophagous * Correspondence: 1 Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran Full list of author information is available at the end of the article (herbivore) arthropod pests attack pistachio trees, causing considerable damages to the crop (Zohdi et al. 2015). Among these pests, the common pistachio psyllid (CPP), Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt and Lauterer (Psyllidae), is the most adverse pest which was first reported on pistachio trees in Iran by Kiriukhin (1946) (Mehrnejad 2001). Both nymphs and adults of CPP suck the leaves’ sap and produce large amounts of dried and crystallized honeydew. Their damage to the plant leads to the fall of leaves, buds, and fruits which finally leads to yield reduction (Alizadeh et al. 2011). This pest produces several generations each year and is generally inhibited by applying chemical insecticides belonging to various classes multiple times per year (Hassani 2009). The use of insecticides failed to prevent the outbreak of this pest, and © The Author(s). 2018 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. Sarnevesht et al. Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control (2018) 28:76 frequent use of these compounds has led to the development of pesticide resistance (CPP resistance occurs due to its high reproductive capacity and short life cycle) (Alizadeh et al. 2011). Due to such problems, integrated pest management (IPM) programs, especially biological control, are considered a suitable approach for controlling CPP (Mehrnejad 2001). Some species of anthocorids including Anthocoris nemorum (L.), A. nemoralis (Fabricius), Orius vicinus (Ribaut), O. minutus (L.), and O. majusculus Reuter (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) can effectively control psyllid species in infested pear orchards (Sigsgaard et al. 2006). Souliotis et al. (2002) reported A. nemoralis as a successful bio-control agent of CPP in Greece. Few studies have been found on its potential in pistachio orchards of Iran (Linnavuori and Hosseini 2000). Some aphid and psyllid species including Forda sp. (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea), Slavum sp. (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea), and Psyllopsis fraxini (L.) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) have been recorded as preys of A. minki pistaciae (Falamarzi et al. 2009). Pourali et al. (2010) reported A. minki pistaciae as a well-known predator of A. pistaciae in pistachio orchards in Iran. Anthocoris minki pistaciae is found from April to October in pistachio orchards in Kerman Province, Iran. Nowadays, the population of this predator in pistachio orchards (may be due to the use of large amounts of insecticides) is limited (Mehrnejad 2010; Yanik and Unlu 2011). Among the known factors that influence the capacity of predators to consume prey is the temperature, as it affects the rate of growth, development, prey consumption, behavior, life cycles, population dynamics, and geographical distribution of insects (Islam and Chapman 2001). Rajabi (2004) reported that temperature increases boost metabolic interactions and then heighten the need for nutrition. So, before using biological control agents in new areas, it is necessary to know the thermal requirements of the agent (Pilkington and Hoddle 2006). Previous studies showed benefits of using the age-stage, two-sex life table in food consumption of insect predators (Atlihan and Chi 2008). The main purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of different temperatures on the predation rate of A. minki pistaciae when feeding on A. pistaciae as prey during immature and adult stages under laboratory conditions. Materials and methods Predator’s collection Samples of the anthocorids were collected from the wild and cultivated pistachio trees located in Kerman Province, Iran (Sirjan and Rafsanjan orchards, between 53° 26′ E and 25° 55′ N and 59° 29′ E and 32° N) by using sweeping nets and aspirator, during May 2016. Collected bugs were transferred to the laboratory of Kerman Agricultural and Natural Resources Education and Research Page 2 of 8 Center and identified by the taxonomical keys of Linnavuori and Hosseini (2000) and Falamarzi et al. (2009), t (...truncated)