engleski

When native parasitoids dont work: biological control of an invasive species with introduced parasitoid and entomopathogenic fungi

Dryocosmus kuriphilus is a globally invasive insect pest, spreading very quickly in new habitats and making seriously damage to sweet chestnut forests in Croatia. Indigenous parasitoid species trophically associated with oak gallwasps have adapted to this new host but cannot effectively regulate its population density. Classical biological control using introduced parasitoid Torymus sinensis has been proven to be the only effective method of controlling the populations of D. kuriphilus. T. sinensis can successfully control the population density of D. kuriphilus, slowing down the spread and mitigating negative impact of this invasive chestnut pest and keeping the damage of D. kuriphilus at acceptable level. High specificity of T. sinensis suggests that it has limited potential of exploiting native hosts. In Croatia, during 4 years 15 species of native parasitoids have adapted to new invasive host but have no impact on lowering the population density. T. sinensis has been released in sweet chestnut forests in Croatia as promising biological control agent. Fusarium proliferatum induces larval mortality on D. kuriphilus and could be used in combination with native and introduced parasitoids for lowering high population densities of invasive D. kuriphilus.

Dryokosmus kuriphilus; Torymus sinensis; Fusarium proliferatum

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