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Integrated Pest Management of Arthropods in Urban Green Spaces

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A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Other Arthropods and General Topics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 8978

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Xavier Pons

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Guest Editor

Department of Crop and Forest Sciences, Agrotecnio Centre, Universitat de Lleida, Av. Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain
Interests: integrated pest management in arable crops: maize, alfalfa and others; biology, ecology and control of aphids; integrated pest management of pests in urban green areas

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Most of the world’s population lives in cities, and green spaces provide nature experience, recreation, social interaction and well-being that improve physical and emotional citizen health. Urban green spaces are usually contrived with alien plants and vegetation growing in inadequate environmental conditions (soil, water, pollution, etc.) that make them prone to being affected by arthropod species, which can injure the plant but also cause disturbances to citizens. However, in comparison with crop and forest ecosystems, little scientific attention has been paid to controlling pests in urban environments. With people demanding friendly and healthy cities, better knowledge of how to more sustainably manage pests in urban green spaces is crucial. For this Special Issue, we invite the submission of high-quality original research papers and comprehensive reviews on the arthropod pest management of green spaces. The following subjects will be welcomed: biology and ecology of pests and their antagonists, arthropod sampling methodologies, invasive alien species, pest–natural enemy associations and relationships; the use of predators, parasitoids and other beneficial organisms in pest control; innovative pest control strategies and their implementation in IPM programs; and any other subjects related to arthropod pest management in urban or periurban environments.

Prof. Dr. Xavier Pons
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

urban landscapes
arthropods
biology
ecology
pest control
alien species
sampling methods
sustainable management

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 1171 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Survey of Natural Enemies of the Invasive Boxwood Moth Cydalima perspectalis in Southwestern Mediterranean Europe and Biocontrol Potential of a Native Beauveria bassiana (Bals.-Criv.) Vuill. Strain

by Carmen López, Sandra Las Heras, Inmaculada Garrido-Jurado, Enrique Quesada-Moraga and Matilde Eizaguirre

Insects 2022, 13(9), 781; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects13090781 - 29 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1561

Abstract

Cydalima perspectalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a species native to East Asia, has been especially devastating in the Mediterranean region and Catalonia, northeast Spain, where Buxus sempervirens is an essential component of the natural forest. As an invasive species, the lack of biotic mortality factors in the arrival region has been one of the main factors allowing its expansion. Therefore, this study aimed to collect and identify possible indigenous natural enemies adapting to the new species in the boxwood of the southwest Mediterranean region. Later, the efficacy of some of the collected species for controlling C. perspectalis larvae was tested in laboratory conditions. The larval collection was carried out in successive years in the boxwood of the region. Several collected larvae were infected with an entomopathogen, Beauveria bassiana, or parasitized by Compsilura concinnata, both common in native Lepidoptera caterpillars. The B. bassiana strain was found to be highly virulent against the developed larvae of C. perspectalis, which suggests that B. bassiana may be an effective treatment in parks and gardens when the first overwintering larvae are detected. The biology of the parasitoid identified is not very well known in Europe, which suggests the necessity of studying its biology and alternative hosts in the region in order to improve its population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Pest Management of Arthropods in Urban Green Spaces)

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10 pages, 1864 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Establishment and Expansion of Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Urban Green Areas in the Iberian Peninsula: From 2015 to 2021

by Roberto Meseguer, Belén Lumbierres and Xavier Pons

Insects 2022, 13(8), 741; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects13080741 - 17 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1207

Abstract

In the Western Palearctic region, Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is mainly established in urban areas. In this study, we update its occurrence in urban areas of the Iberian Peninsula and determine its expansion after 2014. Changes in the ladybird species assemblage are also evaluated. We compile information about the records of H. axyridis in Spain from 2015 to 2021. In addition, we sample different locations to determine the relative abundances of the species composing the aphidophagous ladybird complex. The expansion of H. axyridis mainly occurred in Catalonia (Iberian Peninsula), where it is possible to identify two clear areas: one that has already been invaded and another that has not yet been invaded. Harmonia axyridis became the dominant species in the invaded area two years after it was first identified. This dominance is clearly shown on Liriodendron tulipifera and Tilia platyphyllos, where it accounted for more than 75% of the total collected individuals in the last year of the study. In the not-yet invaded area, Adalia bipunctata overcame Oenopia conglobata and became the prevalent species from 2020 onwards, likely due to its regular releases for aphid biocontrol. This study reveals that changes in ladybird species assemblages may not only be caused by invasive species, but also by biological control practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Pest Management of Arthropods in Urban Green Spaces)

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13 pages, 2179 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biological Control Services from Parasitic Hymenoptera in Urban Agriculture

by Joshua Earl Arnold

Insects 2022, 13(5), 467; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects13050467 - 17 May 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1837

Abstract

Urban agriculture is practiced in spatially fragmented landscapes with unique characteristics that can impact species occurrence in time and space. As a result, biological control services, an ecosystem service from naturally occurring arthropod natural enemies, can be negatively impacted. Many urban farms forgo pesticides and utilize agroecological pest-management strategies that rely on natural enemies to help regulate pest populations. Understanding how these enemies are affected by landscape composition and on-farm management practices is critical to understanding agroecological pest management in UA and furthering our understanding of landscape-mediated population dynamics. Over two growing seasons, we sampled brassica crops in urban agriculture sites occurring on a spectrum of surrounding landscape imperviousness, spatial composition, size, and management practices to better understand parasitic Hymenoptera abundance, richness, and parasitism rates on the common cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae). We found that on-farm agroecological pest-management practices such as mulch coverage, floral richness, and overall crop-plant richness impacted parasitic Hymenoptera abundance. Larger proportions of on-farm noncrop area increased parasitoid abundance on urban farms. Aphid parasitism increased in relation to on-farm management practices, including increased crop-plant richness. These findings add to a growing understanding of urban agroecosystem function and support the enemies hypothesis in urban agroecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Pest Management of Arthropods in Urban Green Spaces)

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Review

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13 pages, 564 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

The Possible Role of Microorganisms in Mosquito Mass Rearing

by Luca Chersoni, Alice Checcucci, Marco Malfacini, Arianna Puggioli, Fabrizio Balestrino, Marco Carrieri, Irene Piunti, Maria Luisa Dindo, Paola Mattarelli and Romeo Bellini

Insects 2021, 12(7), 645; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/insects12070645 - 15 Jul 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3249

Abstract

In Europe, one of the most significant mosquitoes of public health importance is Aedes albopictus (Skuse), an allochthonous species of Asian origin. One of the most promising control methods against Aedes albopictus is the sterile insect technique (SIT), which consists of mass rearing the target species, separation of males from females, and male exposure to sterilizing ionizing radiation. Once released in the environment, the sterile males are expected to search for wild females to mate with. If mating occurs, no offspring is produced. The quality of sterile males is a crucial aspect in SIT programs in order to optimize effectiveness and limit production costs. The integration of probiotic microorganisms in larval and adult mosquito diets could enhance the quality parameters of the released sterile males. In this review, we attempt to give the most representative picture of the present knowledge on the relationships between gut microbiota of mosquitoes and the natural or artificial larval diet. Furthermore, the possible use of probiotic microorganisms for mosquito larvae rearing is explored. Based on the limited amount of data found in the literature, we hypothesize that a better understanding of the interaction between mosquitoes and their microbiota may bring significant improvements in mosquito mass rearing for SIT purposes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Pest Management of Arthropods in Urban Green Spaces)

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