Nader
Koohpayehzadeh
Ph.D.
Research in progress....
 Study
of resistance mechanisms in strawberry to tarnished plant bug, Lygus
lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) (Hemiptera: Miridae), and their
impact on Anaphes iole Girault (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), a
parasitoid of the eggs of this pest.
The strawberry Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne (Rosaceae) is
one of the most important small fruits in Quebec . Strawberry
varieties differ in their susceptibility to pathogens and insect
pests. The tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de
Beauvois) (Hemiptera: Miridae), is a major pest of strawberries in
Quebec . The adults and larvae attack the strawberries and feed on
the buds, flowers and achenes (seeds). Feeding can cause the death
of flowers and deformation of the fruit, known as “button berries”
or “catfacing”. The use of resistant cultivars to control this
pest is more appropriate than the use of chemical methods due to the
resistance of insect pests to insecticides and the negative effects
of chemicals on natural environments. However, in order to use
resistant cultivars of strawberries in integrated pest management
programs to control tarnished plant bug, it is important to
determine the effectiveness of natural enemies on these cultivars.
In this study, we will establish a correlation between strawberry
resistance to tarnished plant bugs and the morphological and
physiological characteristics of this plant. We will also study the
impact of morphological and physiological variations in certain
strawberry cultivars on the ability of natural enemies to use their
host on strawberries. To test this hypothesis in strawberries, we
will use Anaphes iole (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), a minuscule egg
parasitoid of tarnished plant bugs, which is widespread in Canada
and in eastern North America . The results will help researchers
produce cultivars that are resistant to this species. Our results
may also be used in other plant systems in both theoretical and
applied studies of the biological control of insect pests.
E-mail: nader.koohpayehzadeh.1@ulaval.ca
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