One maternal lineage leads the expansion of Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae) in the New and Old Worlds

Evaluation of cold storage techniques to improve mass rearing of Cleruchoides noackae from Thaumastocoris peregrinus eggs

The egg parasitoid Cleruchoides noackae Lin & Huber, 2007 (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) is originated from Australia and the main biological control agent of Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpenter & Dellapé, 2006 (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae) on Eucalyptus L'Hér (Myrtaceae). Companies that grow Eucalyptus are in need of a mass rearing protocol to increase the number of individuals produced and improve the quality of this parasitoid. The aim of this study was to define a protocol for mass rearing C. noackae in T. peregrinus eggs, based in the evaluations of the key biological attributes of this parasitoid in the parental and F1 generations, after the cold storage of the parasitised host eggs. Two methods were tested as C. noackae rearing protocols. In the first, parasitised eggs of T. peregrinus by C. noackae were cold stored for 7 days after being left in a climatic chamber at 24 ± 2°C, 60 ± 10% RH and a photoperiod of 12:12 (light:dark) h (standard environmental conditions) for 3, 6, 9 or 12 days. In the second, T. peregrinus eggs parasitised by C. noackae were maintained in a climatic chamber under standard environmental conditions for 6 days, after which these eggs were cold-stored for 0 (control), 7, 14 or 21 days. Parasitism (%), and the development period (parasitism to adult) and female proportion (%) of C. noackae were evaluated. Based on the results (parental generation: parasitism, around 45%; F1 generation: parasitism, around 55%; development period, around 16 days; female proportion, around 60%), eggs should be stored at 5°C on the sixth day after parasitism by C. noackae and maintained at this temperature for 7 days. The cold storage of T. peregrinus eggs, after parasitism, can be included in the mass rearing protocols of the parasitoid C. noackae.

Diversity and distribution of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) haplotypes of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae), along the eastern front of its invasive range in Eurasia

The arrival, establishment and pest status of Halyomorpha halys in Europe and non-native countries in Asia have been well-documented, with thorough characterisation of the genetic diversity and occurrence of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) haplotypes in Switzerland, France, Hungary, Italy and Greece. However, a number of gaps exist in terms of the characterisation of the haplotype diversity and occurrence of H. halys along the invasion front that covers eastern Europe, western and central Asia. To contribute towards filling this gap, the COI haplotype diversity and distribution were investigated for H. halys collected in Serbia, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia and Kazakhstan. A total of 646 specimens were analysed and five haplotypes were found (H1, H3, H8, H33 and H80). Haplotype H1 was present in all five countries investigated and was the only haplotype detected amongst > 500 specimens collected from Ukraine, Russia and Georgia. H1 (82%) was the dominant haplotype found in Kazakhstan, alongside H3 (18%). In contrast to the low or no diversity observed in these four countries, Serbia had higher haplotype diversity and was represented by five haplotypes. Although H3 was dominant (47%) in Serbia, H1 was also prevalent (40%); the remaining haplotypes (H8, H33 and H80) were minor contributors (1–11%) to the haplotype composition. The results are discussed in context with other known populations in neighbouring countries and patterns of haplotype diversity indicate the movement of successful invasive populations in Europe to generate secondary invasions along the eastern front of the invasion in Eurasia. Possible scenarios regarding the spread of particular haplotypes in these regions are discussed, along with suggestions for future research to fill existing gaps.