Journal of Biological Control

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Mud Wasp, Sceliphron madraspatanum (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae): A Threat or Nature's Regulation of Spider Fauna in the Vegetable Agroecosystem?


Affiliations
1 Crop Protection Division, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi 221 305, Uttar Pradesh, India
2 National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Bangalore 560 024, India
3 Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
 

The biology and behaviour of mud wasp, Sceliphron madraspatanum (Fabricius) and its possible role in insect pest management were studied under vegetable agroecosystem. The gravid female lays a single egg (2.75±0.33 mm in length) in a mud chamber that is provisioned almost exclusively with orb-weaver spiders, wolf spiders and jumping spiders available in the vegetable agroecosystem. Total numbers of spiders provisioned in each cell was negatively correlated with their mean body weight. However, the wasps avoided provisioning of lynx spider, the most predominant spider in this ecosystem, due to its short and reduced abdomen and also the presence of large, strong and erect setae over its body. In the agroecosystem, mud wasp was found to constitute the third trophic level in the food chain comprising of the vegetable crops–insect pests–spiders–S. madraspatanum and thereby their role could be detrimental for the pest management.

Keywords

Sceliphron madraspatanum, Biology, Prey Spiders, Tritrophic Interactions.
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  • Mud Wasp, Sceliphron madraspatanum (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae): A Threat or Nature's Regulation of Spider Fauna in the Vegetable Agroecosystem?

Abstract Views: 312  |  PDF Views: 172

Authors

Jaydeep Halder
Crop Protection Division, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi 221 305, Uttar Pradesh, India
A. B. Rai
Crop Protection Division, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi 221 305, Uttar Pradesh, India
M. H. Kodandaram
Crop Protection Division, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi 221 305, Uttar Pradesh, India
T. M. Shivalingaswamy
National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, Bangalore 560 024, India
Debjani Dey
Division of Entomology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India

Abstract


The biology and behaviour of mud wasp, Sceliphron madraspatanum (Fabricius) and its possible role in insect pest management were studied under vegetable agroecosystem. The gravid female lays a single egg (2.75±0.33 mm in length) in a mud chamber that is provisioned almost exclusively with orb-weaver spiders, wolf spiders and jumping spiders available in the vegetable agroecosystem. Total numbers of spiders provisioned in each cell was negatively correlated with their mean body weight. However, the wasps avoided provisioning of lynx spider, the most predominant spider in this ecosystem, due to its short and reduced abdomen and also the presence of large, strong and erect setae over its body. In the agroecosystem, mud wasp was found to constitute the third trophic level in the food chain comprising of the vegetable crops–insect pests–spiders–S. madraspatanum and thereby their role could be detrimental for the pest management.

Keywords


Sceliphron madraspatanum, Biology, Prey Spiders, Tritrophic Interactions.

References