Timing and intensity of bush cricket predation on egg batches of pine processionary moth: no evidence of population control. (1st March 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hódar, José A.; Torres‐Muros, Lucía; Senhadji, Karim
• Is Part Of: Agricultural and forest entomology. Volume 15:Number 2(2013:May)
• Page Start: 204
• Page End: 211
• Publication Date: 2013-03-01
• Subjects: Insect pests -- Control -- Periodicals; Agricultural pests -- Control -- Periodicals; Forest insects -- Control -- Periodicals; 632.7
• DOI: 10.1111/afe.12006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-9555

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <list list-type="order"> <list-item> <p> Bush crickets (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae) are known predators of egg batches of the pine processionary moth (<italic>Thaumetopoea pityocampa</italic> Denis and Schiffermüller, Lepidoptera: Notodontidae), a severe pest in Mediterranean pine woodlands. Bush crickets have been proposed as biological control agents of <italic>T. pityocampa</italic> populations, although their characteristics as generalist predators suggest that this would be possible only during the low‐density phases of the processionary population cycle.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p> We combined observational and experimental approaches aiming to determine the role played by the bush cricket <italic>Steropleurus andalusius</italic> as a regulator of <italic>T. pityocampa</italic>.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p> The synchrony of the phenology of <italic>T. pityocampa</italic> egg batches and the activity of bush crickets was poor, with the activity of bush crickets being longer than the period during which egg batches were available.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p> The predation rate of bush crickets reached 23%, varied in time and space, and was independent of <italic>T. pityocampa</italic> egg‐batch density. There was no relationship between the egg‐batch densities and bush cricket abundance, and no response to experimental variations in egg‐batch density.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p> Analysis of microhabitat selection suggests that <italic>T. pityocampa</italic> egg‐batch predation is a by‐product of the substrate selected by bush crickets for mating, and does not correspond with active searching of egg batches as food.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p> These findings do not rule out the possibilty of bush crickets being natural regulators of <italic>T. pityocampa</italic> populations, although they impose limits with respect to their future use in biological control.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </abstract>