Effects of Natural Enemies and Host Condition on Populations of Insect Pests of Trees

In the third chapter, I reviewed the primary and secondary literature on parasitoids of the wood-boring larvae of cerambycid beetles to examine the relationship between the feeding niche of beetles and the number and types of parasitoids that attack them. Significantly fewer species of parasitoids attacked beetle larvae that feed on roots than those that feed within twigs and branchlets, with intermediate numbers of parasitoid species associated with beetles species whose larvae feed in herbaceous stems or the large branches or trunks of woody plants. Of the parasitoid species that attack multiple host species, about half are limited to hosts of a single feeding niche, suggesting that some species of parasitoids may be limited in their ability to parasitize hosts of some niches. The highest rates of parasitism are reported from cerambycid larvae feeding in herbaceous stems. Knowledge of any trends in parasitism might help guide efforts to find biocontrol agents.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Entomology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Reagel, Peter

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hanks, Lawrence M.

• Biology, Entomology

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI3392446

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/86470