Sormunen, Jani Jukka and Sippola, Ella and Kaunisto, Kari Mikael and Vesterinen, Eero and Saaksjarvi, Ilari Eerikki
(2019).
First evidence of Ixodiphagus hookeri (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) parasitization in Finnish castor bean ticks (Ixodes ricinus).
Experimental and Applied Acarology. 79
, 395-404
[Research article]
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Abstract
Ixodiphagus hookeri (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is a parasitoid wasp specialized in parasitizing the larvae and nymphs of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae). As parasitized ticks die prior to reproduction, I. hookeri is seen as a prime biological control agent candidate. Despite this, little is known of their occurrence or ecology in northern Europe. The main aim of the current study was to determine whether adult wasps or parasitized ticks can be found from a tick-infested island in southwestern Finland, using field collections and molecular methods. Following the initial discovery of an adult I. hookeri female on Seili Island, we set out to collect further specimens via sweep netting and Malaise trappings between May and October 2017. Furthermore, 1310 Ixodes ricinus (1220 nymphs, 90 adults) collected from the island during 2012-2014 were screened for I. hookeri DNA using qPCR. Whereas no further wasp specimens could be collected via sweep netting or Malaise trappings, I. hookeri DNA was consistently detected in I. ricinus nymphs (annual minimum infection rates in 2012, 2013, and 2014: 2.3, 0.4, and 0.5%, respectively), whereas all adult samples were negative. Although the annually repeated detections of parasitized ticks suggest that the wasp inhabits the island, further field and molecular surveys are needed to more comprehensively determine the status and stability of the population.
Authors/Creators: | Sormunen, Jani Jukka and Sippola, Ella and Kaunisto, Kari Mikael and Vesterinen, Eero and Saaksjarvi, Ilari Eerikki | ||||||
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Title: | First evidence of Ixodiphagus hookeri (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) parasitization in Finnish castor bean ticks (Ixodes ricinus) | ||||||
Series Name/Journal: | Experimental and Applied Acarology | ||||||
Year of publishing : | 2019 | ||||||
Volume: | 79 | ||||||
Page range: | 395-404 | ||||||
Number of Pages: | 10 | ||||||
Publisher: | MDPI | ||||||
ISSN: | 0168-8162 | ||||||
Language: | English | ||||||
Publication Type: | Research article | ||||||
Article category: | Scientific peer reviewed | ||||||
Version: | Published version | ||||||
Copyright: | Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 | ||||||
Full Text Status: | Public | ||||||
Subjects: | (A) Swedish standard research categories 2011 > 1 Natural sciences > 106 Biological Sciences (Medical to be 3 and Agricultural to be 4) > Zoology (A) Swedish standard research categories 2011 > 1 Natural sciences > 106 Biological Sciences (Medical to be 3 and Agricultural to be 4) > Ecology | ||||||
Keywords: | Parasitism, Parasitization, Parasitoids, qPCR, Biological control | ||||||
URN:NBN: | urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-p-105335 | ||||||
Permanent URL: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-p-105335 | ||||||
Additional ID: |
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ID Code: | 16956 | ||||||
Faculty: | NJ - Fakulteten för naturresurser och jordbruksvetenskap | ||||||
Department: | (NL, NJ) > Dept. of Ecology (S) > Dept. of Ecology | ||||||
Deposited By: | SLUpub Connector | ||||||
Deposited On: | 08 May 2020 08:39 | ||||||
Metadata Last Modified: | 08 May 2020 08:39 |
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