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Article
Density-dependent prophylaxis in crowded Beet Webworm, Loxostege sticticalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae to a parasitoid and a fungal pathogen
International Journal of Pest Management
  • Hailong Kong, Yangzhou University
  • Yunxia Cheng, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
  • Lizhi Luo, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
  • Thomas W. Sappington, United States Department of Agriculture
  • Xingfu Jiang, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
  • Lei Zhang, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-1-2013
DOI
10.1080/09670874.2013.807957
Abstract

Transmission of parasites and pathogens is generally positively density-dependent: as an insect population's density increases, the risk of an individual becoming attacked or infected also increases. In some insect species, individuals experiencing crowded conditions are more resistant to natural enemies than those experiencing low density conditions, and they are predicted to divert resources to increase resistance. This phenomenon is called density-dependent prophylaxis. Here, possible expression of prophylaxis in fifth-instar larvae of Beet Webworm, Loxostege sticticalis, to biocontrol agents was investigated under rearing densities of 1, 10, and 30 larvae per jar (650 mL). Larvae reared at the moderate density and those reared in isolation displayed the greatest and lowest resistance, respectively, to an entomopathogenic fungus and a parasitoid. Moreover, larvae from the moderate density treatment exhibited elevated phenoloxidase, total haemocyte count and antibacterial activity in the haemolymph, whereas phenoloxidase levels in the midgut were not affected. The results suggest that larval rearing density significantly affects the immune system, and they provide evidence for density-dependent prophylaxis of larval L. sticticalis against its biocontrol agents. These results have implications for understanding the population dynamics and biocontrol of beet webworm.

Comments

This article is from International Journal of Pest Management 59 (2013): 174, doi:10.1080/09670874.2013.807957.

Rights
Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted.
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Hailong Kong, Yunxia Cheng, Lizhi Luo, Thomas W. Sappington, et al.. "Density-dependent prophylaxis in crowded Beet Webworm, Loxostege sticticalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae to a parasitoid and a fungal pathogen" International Journal of Pest Management Vol. 59 Iss. 3 (2013) p. 174 - 179
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/thomas_sappington/58/