Journal Article

Environmental risk assessment of the egg parasitoid Anaphes inexpectatus for classical biological control of the Eucalyptus snout beetle, Gonipterus platensis

Alonso-Zarazaga, Miguel A., Reis, Ana, Afonso, Catarina, Branco, Manuela, Valente, Carlos, Gonçalves, Catarina I.

2017

Overview

Classical biological control is a valuable tool against invasive pests, but concerns about non-target effects requires risk assessment studies. Potential non-target effects of Anaphes inexpectatus Huber and Prinsloo (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) were assessed for a classical biological control programme against the Eucalyptus snout beetle, Gonipterus platensis (Marelli) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). No-choice tests were conducted with 17 non-target species to assess host specificity, including 11 curculionids. In behavioural observations, A.   inexpectatus showed no interest in any of the non-target species, but two weevil species were parasitised within five days of exposure, although at significantly lower rates than G. platensis . In choice tests, only one non-target, Hypera postica (Gyllenhal) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), was parasitised, at a rate of 0.6%, while 50.0% of G. platensis eggs were parasitised. Based on the host specificity test results and the potential host fauna found in the target area, the likelihood of non-target effects resulting from the release of A. inexpectatus is considered to be negligible.

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Agriculture / Anaphes / Animal Biochemistry / Animal Ecology / Behavioral Sciences / Biological control / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Coleoptera / Ecological risk assessment / Eggs / Entomology / Environmental assessment / Environmental risk / Eucalyptus / fauna / Gonipterus scutellatus / Host specificity / Hypera postica / Life Sciences / nontarget organisms / Parasitoids / Pests / Plant Pathology / Risk assessment / Species