Effectiveness of the hunterfly, Coenosia atteuata, as a biological control agent

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25450072
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plant protection science
• Research Institution: Kochi University
• Principal Investigator: Arakawa Ryo 高知大学, 教育研究部総合科学系生命環境医学部門, 教授 (10159494)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 土着天敵 / メスグロハナレメイエバエ / 生物的防除 / 広食性捕食者 / タバココナジラミ / ギルド内捕食

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The hunter fly, Coenosia attenuata (Diptera: Muscidae), is distributed all over the world, including Japan. The adult of this species has been attracting attention as the predacious flies as a control agent of greenhouse pests. However, the fungus gnat larvae or chopped worms are useful for laboratory culture, mass production of this species has not been developed by alternative prey. I have found the embryo of brine shrimp, Artemia spp. are useful as the larval food of C. attenuata. In this study, I established the mass production method of C. attenuata, firstly. Secondly I investigated the reproductive capacity, predacious capacity. intraguild predation of C. attenuata. Finally, I estimated the effectiveness of biological control agent by releasing test in the small greenhouse to control the sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci). From the result of this study, it was found that C. attenuata would be the prospective biological control agent of small flying greenhousae pests.

Free Research Field

天敵昆虫学