Working Group "Integrated Protection of Olive Crops Integrated Protection of Olive Crops, 2019
Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is a solitary larval-pupal endoparasitoid of several fruit flies tha... more Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is a solitary larval-pupal endoparasitoid of several fruit flies that has been introduced to many countries as biocontrol agent of tephritid pests. The species has been reared in Italy under quarantine conditions to test its reliability in biological control programmes against fruit flies. Laboratory bioassays aimed at evaluating the behavioural response of D. longicaudata toward Bactrocera oleae infested or non infested olives have been carried out in the last two years. Data obtained through two different behavioural experiments demonstrated that the parasitoid can perceive olfactory and visual cues coming from fruits, especially from infested ones. In bioassays performed in arenas, naïve and experienced females were able to discriminate infested and non infested fruits showing also a noticeable ability in recognizing different fruit size by visual stimuli. Experiments conducted in Y-tube olfactometer revealed a remarkable response of naïve females to infested olives while experienced females preferred the pure air, showing a probable bias by the factitious host. Further research has to be planned in order to study other possible stimuli coming from the insect pest as well as from olive leaves and fruits. Moreover, additional bioassays should be performed on non-frugivorous tephritid flies before field releasing attempts, in order to avoid possible negative side effects.
After oviposition, Trissolcus basalis females always mark the host's surface, depositing host mar... more After oviposition, Trissolcus basalis females always mark the host's surface, depositing host marking substances for herself and to warn other ovipositing females. The perception of these host marking substances, probably through the antennae, can induce the female to leave and seek healthy hosts. Parasitoid females exposed to conspecific parasitized egg masses left the host egg masses significantly more often than when exposed to non-parasitized egg masses. More egg mass leaving behavior also was observed when the egg masses were treated with Dufour's gland secretion but not when treated with secretion from the common oviducts. The common oviduct has a secretory epithelium that produces electron-dense vesicles, probably containing proteinaceous substances. The secretory cells of the accessory gland, Dufour's gland, contain electron-lucid vesicles, whose secretion appears to be a lipid similarly to that found in pheromone secreting glands. Ultrastructural and behavioral evidence suggests that Dufour's gland is the host marking pheromone source.
The increasing demand for food has required intensive use of pesticides which are hazardous to th... more The increasing demand for food has required intensive use of pesticides which are hazardous to the ecosystem. A valid alternative is represented by biopesticides; however, these molecules are often insoluble in water, and poorly bioavailable. Nanopesticides can be engineered to reach a selected target with controlled release of the active principle. In this work, capsaicin, an irritant alkaloid from hot chili peppers, and hydroxytyrosol, a phenolic compound obtained from extra-virgin olive oil by-products, were loaded into innovative nanocarriers. These were designed ad hoc combining exopolysaccharides from the cyanobacteria Neocyanospira capsulata, and a lipid component, i.e., egg phosphatidylcholine. The polysaccharide was chosen for chemical affinity with the chitin of insect exoskeleton, while the lipids were introduced to modulate the carrier rigidity. The newly formed nanosystems were characterized by physico-chemical techniques and tested for their possible use in pest contro...
The staff exchange event provides an effective knowledge transfer among Clim4Vitis partners. The ... more The staff exchange event provides an effective knowledge transfer among Clim4Vitis partners. The speakers address viticulture topics from different points of view, providing a general focus on the state of art and current research activities in this sector. This event promotes exchanges of methodologies and best practices among partners.
h i g h l i g h t s " Coptera occidentalis females use larval trails to locate the host. " Rearin... more h i g h l i g h t s " Coptera occidentalis females use larval trails to locate the host. " Rearing on factitious host does not bias the host location process. " C. occidentalis females also follow trails of Tephritid washed larvae.
Before the <em>Xylella fastidiosa</em> outbreak in Europe and the identification of s... more Before the <em>Xylella fastidiosa</em> outbreak in Europe and the identification of spittlebugs as the main vectors of this xylem-inhabiting bacterium, little was known about this insect group. The need of effective control tools has highlighted the lack of knowledge on several aspects of spittlebugs' ecology, such as their response to olfactory stimuli and the potential role of different volatile compounds as semiochemicals. Recently, the antennal sensilla fine structure and the response to several volatile organic compounds were investigated in <em>Philaenus spumarius</em>. Although its antennal chemoreceptors are limited, the meadow spittlebug seems to be able to recognize and react to some substances. While the study of <em>P. spumarius</em> chemical ecology is ongoing, for <em>Neophilaenus campestris</em> this topic is still uninvestigated.<br> In order to evaluate the response of <em>P. spumarius</em> and &l...
Lipoptena fortisetosa, a deer ked native to Japan, has established itself in several European cou... more Lipoptena fortisetosa, a deer ked native to Japan, has established itself in several European countries and was recently recorded in Italy. This hippoboscid ectoparasite can develop high density populations, causing annoyance to animals and concern regarding the potential risk of transmitting pathogens to humans. No monitoring or control methods for L. fortisetosa have been applied or tested up to now. This research evaluated the possible response of L. fortisetosa winged adults to different colours as the basis for a monitoring and control strategy. In the summer of 2020, a series of six differently coloured sticky panels were randomly set as traps in a wooded area used by deer for resting. The results indicated a clear preference of the deer ked for the blue panels that caught the highest number of flies during the experimental period. Lower numbers of flies were trapped on the red, green, black, and white panels, with the yellow panels recording the fewest captures. The response ...
The dried fruit beetle (Carpophilus hemipterus) is considered a key pest of dates, infesting frui... more The dried fruit beetle (Carpophilus hemipterus) is considered a key pest of dates, infesting fruits both in the field and during storage. Control measures against the species rely on the use of chemicals or heat treatments based on sunlight, hot air or radio frequency (RF) applications. Previous investigations that have aimed to define control procedures for a total disinfestation using RF treatments with different exposure durations have shown the typical behavior of adults in some trials, which, under the influence of temperature increases, started to escape from infested fruits. We focused on the application of different RF voltage-time combinations to induce the emigration of C. hemipterus adults from dates in order to produce a complete disinfestation. The results showed that the application of 2500 V RF for 8–10 min to infested dates resulted in nearly 100% of adults escaping from fruits, thereby cleaning the commodity with low or no mortality inside and outside the dates. The...
Many terrestrial Heteroptera have small, but functional, dorsal abdominal glands as adults. The c... more Many terrestrial Heteroptera have small, but functional, dorsal abdominal glands as adults. The chemistry, and associated intra- and inter-specific behavior, for dorsal abdominal gland secretions from 10 species representing four genera of Pentatomidae was investigated. Eighteen volatile compounds were identified in species-specific blends from the dorsal abdominal gland secretions ofEuschistus, Acrosternum, andEurydema adults, including aliphatic, aromatic, and terpenoid constituents. Evidence
Working Group "Integrated Protection of Olive Crops Integrated Protection of Olive Crops, 2019
Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is a solitary larval-pupal endoparasitoid of several fruit flies tha... more Diachasmimorpha longicaudata is a solitary larval-pupal endoparasitoid of several fruit flies that has been introduced to many countries as biocontrol agent of tephritid pests. The species has been reared in Italy under quarantine conditions to test its reliability in biological control programmes against fruit flies. Laboratory bioassays aimed at evaluating the behavioural response of D. longicaudata toward Bactrocera oleae infested or non infested olives have been carried out in the last two years. Data obtained through two different behavioural experiments demonstrated that the parasitoid can perceive olfactory and visual cues coming from fruits, especially from infested ones. In bioassays performed in arenas, naïve and experienced females were able to discriminate infested and non infested fruits showing also a noticeable ability in recognizing different fruit size by visual stimuli. Experiments conducted in Y-tube olfactometer revealed a remarkable response of naïve females to infested olives while experienced females preferred the pure air, showing a probable bias by the factitious host. Further research has to be planned in order to study other possible stimuli coming from the insect pest as well as from olive leaves and fruits. Moreover, additional bioassays should be performed on non-frugivorous tephritid flies before field releasing attempts, in order to avoid possible negative side effects.
After oviposition, Trissolcus basalis females always mark the host's surface, depositing host mar... more After oviposition, Trissolcus basalis females always mark the host's surface, depositing host marking substances for herself and to warn other ovipositing females. The perception of these host marking substances, probably through the antennae, can induce the female to leave and seek healthy hosts. Parasitoid females exposed to conspecific parasitized egg masses left the host egg masses significantly more often than when exposed to non-parasitized egg masses. More egg mass leaving behavior also was observed when the egg masses were treated with Dufour's gland secretion but not when treated with secretion from the common oviducts. The common oviduct has a secretory epithelium that produces electron-dense vesicles, probably containing proteinaceous substances. The secretory cells of the accessory gland, Dufour's gland, contain electron-lucid vesicles, whose secretion appears to be a lipid similarly to that found in pheromone secreting glands. Ultrastructural and behavioral evidence suggests that Dufour's gland is the host marking pheromone source.
The increasing demand for food has required intensive use of pesticides which are hazardous to th... more The increasing demand for food has required intensive use of pesticides which are hazardous to the ecosystem. A valid alternative is represented by biopesticides; however, these molecules are often insoluble in water, and poorly bioavailable. Nanopesticides can be engineered to reach a selected target with controlled release of the active principle. In this work, capsaicin, an irritant alkaloid from hot chili peppers, and hydroxytyrosol, a phenolic compound obtained from extra-virgin olive oil by-products, were loaded into innovative nanocarriers. These were designed ad hoc combining exopolysaccharides from the cyanobacteria Neocyanospira capsulata, and a lipid component, i.e., egg phosphatidylcholine. The polysaccharide was chosen for chemical affinity with the chitin of insect exoskeleton, while the lipids were introduced to modulate the carrier rigidity. The newly formed nanosystems were characterized by physico-chemical techniques and tested for their possible use in pest contro...
The staff exchange event provides an effective knowledge transfer among Clim4Vitis partners. The ... more The staff exchange event provides an effective knowledge transfer among Clim4Vitis partners. The speakers address viticulture topics from different points of view, providing a general focus on the state of art and current research activities in this sector. This event promotes exchanges of methodologies and best practices among partners.
h i g h l i g h t s " Coptera occidentalis females use larval trails to locate the host. " Rearin... more h i g h l i g h t s " Coptera occidentalis females use larval trails to locate the host. " Rearing on factitious host does not bias the host location process. " C. occidentalis females also follow trails of Tephritid washed larvae.
Before the <em>Xylella fastidiosa</em> outbreak in Europe and the identification of s... more Before the <em>Xylella fastidiosa</em> outbreak in Europe and the identification of spittlebugs as the main vectors of this xylem-inhabiting bacterium, little was known about this insect group. The need of effective control tools has highlighted the lack of knowledge on several aspects of spittlebugs' ecology, such as their response to olfactory stimuli and the potential role of different volatile compounds as semiochemicals. Recently, the antennal sensilla fine structure and the response to several volatile organic compounds were investigated in <em>Philaenus spumarius</em>. Although its antennal chemoreceptors are limited, the meadow spittlebug seems to be able to recognize and react to some substances. While the study of <em>P. spumarius</em> chemical ecology is ongoing, for <em>Neophilaenus campestris</em> this topic is still uninvestigated.<br> In order to evaluate the response of <em>P. spumarius</em> and &l...
Lipoptena fortisetosa, a deer ked native to Japan, has established itself in several European cou... more Lipoptena fortisetosa, a deer ked native to Japan, has established itself in several European countries and was recently recorded in Italy. This hippoboscid ectoparasite can develop high density populations, causing annoyance to animals and concern regarding the potential risk of transmitting pathogens to humans. No monitoring or control methods for L. fortisetosa have been applied or tested up to now. This research evaluated the possible response of L. fortisetosa winged adults to different colours as the basis for a monitoring and control strategy. In the summer of 2020, a series of six differently coloured sticky panels were randomly set as traps in a wooded area used by deer for resting. The results indicated a clear preference of the deer ked for the blue panels that caught the highest number of flies during the experimental period. Lower numbers of flies were trapped on the red, green, black, and white panels, with the yellow panels recording the fewest captures. The response ...
The dried fruit beetle (Carpophilus hemipterus) is considered a key pest of dates, infesting frui... more The dried fruit beetle (Carpophilus hemipterus) is considered a key pest of dates, infesting fruits both in the field and during storage. Control measures against the species rely on the use of chemicals or heat treatments based on sunlight, hot air or radio frequency (RF) applications. Previous investigations that have aimed to define control procedures for a total disinfestation using RF treatments with different exposure durations have shown the typical behavior of adults in some trials, which, under the influence of temperature increases, started to escape from infested fruits. We focused on the application of different RF voltage-time combinations to induce the emigration of C. hemipterus adults from dates in order to produce a complete disinfestation. The results showed that the application of 2500 V RF for 8–10 min to infested dates resulted in nearly 100% of adults escaping from fruits, thereby cleaning the commodity with low or no mortality inside and outside the dates. The...
Many terrestrial Heteroptera have small, but functional, dorsal abdominal glands as adults. The c... more Many terrestrial Heteroptera have small, but functional, dorsal abdominal glands as adults. The chemistry, and associated intra- and inter-specific behavior, for dorsal abdominal gland secretions from 10 species representing four genera of Pentatomidae was investigated. Eighteen volatile compounds were identified in species-specific blends from the dorsal abdominal gland secretions ofEuschistus, Acrosternum, andEurydema adults, including aliphatic, aromatic, and terpenoid constituents. Evidence
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Papers by Cristiana Rosi