Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Newark, Delaware » Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356290
Research Project: Classical Biological Control of Insect Pests of Crops, Emphasizing Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Spotted Wing Drosophila and Tarnished Plant Bug

Location: Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit

Title: Cessation of enemy release or continuation of invasional meltdown? The case of the soybean aphid and its natural enemies

Author
item Kaser, Joseph
item MIKSANEK, JAMES - University Of Minnesota
item HEIMPEL, GEORGE - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/2018
Publication Date: 11/13/2018
Citation: Kaser, J.M., Miksanek, J.R., Heimpel, G.E. 2018. Cessation of enemy release or continuation of invasional meltdown? The case of the soybean aphid and its natural enemies. Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The soybean aphid system in North America is characterized by multiple exotic and native species interacting across a spectrum from synergism to antagonism. We examine the exotic natural enemies attacking the soybean aphid, and evaluate the question of whether these introductions represent the cessation of enemy release or the continuation of an invasional meltdown. We present research on the introduced aphid parasitoid Aphelinus certus which may be contributing significant levels of biological control in some areas. While the host range of A. certus is quite broad and it is capable of developing in several native aphid species, its population size tracks closely to that of soybean aphid. While A. certus has been documented in non-target hosts in the field, to what extent it may be suppressing native aphid populations is unclear. We discuss our findings in the context of biological control risk-benefit assessment.