Gaetano Siscaro

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• Professor (Associate) at University of Catania

The cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) is a polyphagous invasive species native to America and considered one of the major cotton pests in Asia. It is currently threatening horticultural and ornamental protected crops in Mediterranean countries. Due to ecological and environmental concerns, the conventional chemical...

Encarsia protransvena (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) is recorded here for the first time in Italy as a parasitoid of the whitefly Singhiella simplex (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), one of the most invasive alien pests of exotic Ficus species. Singhiella simplex, originating from the Oriental region, has established a global presence. Monitoring of the whitef...

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a serious invasive crop pest native to Asia and currently widespread in many parts of the globe. However, little information is available on its seasonal abundance in southern Italian fruit crops, including Mount Etna (Sicily, Italy). Here, we aimed at investigating i) the pest seasonal fli...

During surveys in citrus groves infested by Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Hemiptera, Aleyrodidae) in Sicily (Italy), an exotic ladybug was detected. The species was identified through morphological and molecular techniques as Serangium montazerii Fürsch (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae), which is known to be a natural enemy of whiteflies. Taxonomic and histo...

The role of selective new generation bioisecticides, beside their effectiveness against key pests, relies on their safety to beneficial arthropods. Spinetoram, a semi-synthetic analogue of the microbial-derived bioinsecticide spinosad is registered worldwide for application in numerous crops, but assessment of its ecotoxicological risk to beneficia...

Plant essential oils (EOs) represent a promising alternative and sustainable tool to reduce the negative environmental impact of conventional management systems, e.g., synthetic insecticides. Their practical implementation is hindered by various drawbacks, such as phytotoxicity, stability and degradation patterns. Innovative and advanced nanotechno...

Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) is among the most invasive ambrosia beetles causing severe damage to host plants belonging to various ecosystems. Foundress females excavate galleries into the plant xylem introducing mutualistic ambrosia fungi which are the exclusive food source for their offspring. The crypt...

Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an invasive generalist predator, which has been used as a biological model to investigate several research questions and is also an effective biocontrol agent against agricultural pests. Its laboratory colonies are often maintained on natural prey that are costly, and thus alternative dietary...

Ecotoxicological risk assessments of pesticides on non-target arthropods are often carried out under constant and optimal temperature regimes. However, living organisms rarely experience these conditions in real field situations. Understanding the impact of pesticides on non-target beneficial arthropods under temperature stresses is especially impo...

La Tignola del pomodoro Tuta absoluta, fitofago invasivo di primario interesse economico in Italia, può infestare le piante di pomodoro durante tutto il ciclo di produzione. Specie di origine neotropicale, è da molti anni presente in Sud America e a partire dal 2006 si è rapidamente insediata anche nel bacino del Mediterraneo. Più di recente la sua...

The factors influencing the entry and the spread of the black twig borer, Xylosandrus compactus (Eichhoff), in the Mediterranean environment have not yet been characterized. Following its first report in Sicily (southern Italy) in 2016, and due to the high level of damage it causes on one of its host plants ( Ceratonia siliqua L.), the flight activ...

The tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) represents a global threat to commercial tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) production, both in open field and greenhouse. Native to South America, it spread over the Mediterranean Basin, Europe, Africa and part of Asia in only 12 years, and currently it is reported in over 80 co...

Nesidiocoris tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae) is an important biocontrol agent of several key arthropod pests, including the South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). However, it can cause economic damage owing to its herbivory. Risk assessment on plant for the predator under diferent temperature thresholds is necessary fo...

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.

The results of a questionnaire aimed at updating the knowledge on the economic importance of the citrus pests and diseases in the main citrus producing countries of the Mediterranean basin in 2017 are analyzed and discussed, comparing with a similar questionnaire carried out in 2010. California red scale Aonidiella aurantii, medfly Ceratitis capita...

The repeated use of conventional synthetic pesticides in crop protection leads to resistance development by pests along with a negative impact on the environment, particularly non-target arthropods. Plant-derived active compounds, such as essential oils (EOs), play a key role in sustainably controlling pests. The lethal and sublethal activity of ci...

Insect parasitoids are often manipulated to improve biological control programs for various arthropod pests. Volatile compounds can be a relevant cue used by most parasitoid hymenoptera for host or host microhabitat location. Here, we studied olfactory responses of the braconid Asobara japonica Belokobylskij, an Asiatic endoparasitoid of the invasi...

Background: Complexity of both natural and managed ecosystems involves various forms of interaction among organisms. Two or more species that exploit the same resource can engage in competitive behaviors, usually referred to as intra-guild interactions. These can be direct, i.e. one species feeds directly upon the competitor (intra-guild predation...

It has been proved that the omnivorous predator Nesidiocoris tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae) is attracted to and can develop successfully on sesame (Sesamum indicum). In this study, the potential of this plant, compared with Dittrichia viscosa and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), to attract the mirid bug was assessed. A Y-tube olfactometer was used to te...

The beneficial effects of direct predation by zoophytophagous biological control agents (BCAs), such as the mirid bug Nesidiocoris tenuis, are well-known. However, the benefits of zoophytophagous BCAs’ relation with host plants, via induction of plant defensive responses, have not been investigated until recently. To date, only the females of certa...

Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae) is an important natural enemy of several key arthropod pests. However, in tomato crop this predator can cause economic damage owing to its zoophytophagous behavior. We investigated in laboratory conditions the influence of two alternative plants, Dittrichia viscosa L. (Asteraceae) and Sesamum indicu...

We studied the acute toxicity and the sublethal effects, on reproduction and host-killing activity, of four widely used insecticides on the generalist parasitoid Bracon nigricans (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a natural enemy of the invasive tomato pest, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Laboratory bioassays were conducted applying maximum inse...

The assessment of pesticides compatibility with natural enemies is recommended before including agrochemicals in integrated and organic pest management schemes. The lethal and sublethal effects of a mineral oil and a juvenile hormone mimic (pyriproxyfen), on adults and larvae of Aphytis melinus, a key ectoparasitoid of armored scale insect pests of...

Insect-proof nets are thought to be effective physical barriers to protect tomato crops against several insect pests, including the invasive tomato pest, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). However, protected tomato crops are frequently infested by this destructive pest, and there is a higher infestation of plants closer to openings...

One of the negative consequences of globalization is the increased introduction of exotic pests into new areas. Italy, in particular, is at high risk of introduction, because of its geographical position and climate, which allows the settlement of (even subtropical) exotic species. In this context, native natural enemies may play a major role in th...

The South American tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an invasive Neotropical pest. After its first detection in Europe it rapidly invaded more than 30 Western Palaearctic countries becoming a serious agricultural threat to tomato production in both protected and open field crops. Among the pest control tactics...

During the years after the invasion of Western Palaearctic tomato crops by the South American tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), several indigenous generalist parasitoids have been recorded on this new host. Among these, Bracon nigricans Szépligeti (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is widely distributed in the Palaearctic...

The major sustainable control strategies of the Tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) are here reported. After describing the economic importance and the highlights of the biology of the exotic pest we define the most promising integrated pest management techniques. Within preventive strategies we focused the possible...

The efficacy of natural enemies in controlling pests under field conditions is largely correlated with their capacity to spread within infested crops. In this study the spatial dispersal of the California red scale parasitoid Aphytis melinus DeBach (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) was evaluated in the field after augmentative releases. The experiment was...

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is an invasive pest of tomato native to South America, where it is responsible for extensive damage. It rapidly spread into several European countries, becom-ing a key pest. Knowledge of its main biological traits can be used to develop effective plant protection management strategies. It is a multivoltine species with a hom...

The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), is one of the major pests of tomato crop. Since its detection in the Mediterranean basin, it has been commonly controlled using chemical insecticides. However, inoculation and conservation of predatory mirids, integrated with sprays of selective insecticides, has been demonstrated to be a...

The tomato borer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is an invasive pest native to South America and since its arrival in Europe the tomato production has faced severe yield loss. The complex of indigenous parasitoids that colonized this new host species was monitored in Southern Italy during 2009-2011, in some of the regions where T. absoluta was initially de...

Laboratory trials were conducted to test the side-effects of the insecticides chlorpyrifos-methyl, buprofezin, pyriproxifen, spinosad and a narrow range mineral oil on Aphytis melinus DeBach, Coccophagus lycimnia Walker (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) and Leptomastix dactylopii Howard (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). The effects of chlorpyrifos-methyl, spinos...

Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) and Chrysodeixis chalcites (Esper) cause serious economic damages on tomato protected crops in South-Eastern Sicily (Italy), due to their peculiar habits and the difficulty of controlling their populations. The role of biocontrol agents of armyworms is mainly carried out by generalist predators and parasitoids, esp...