Stefano Speranza | University of Tuscia (Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo) (original) (raw)

Papers by Stefano Speranza

Florida Entomologist, Sep 1, 2016

Gonatopus duranprietoae sp. nov. (Figs 1–5) Type material. ... more Gonatopus duranprietoae sp. nov. (Figs 1–5) Type material. Holotype: &female;: COLOMBIA: Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Localidad Usaquén, Parque La Vida, 16.III.2018, collected on Ficus americana subsp. andicola (Standl.) CCBerg (Moraceae), Juliana Durán Prieto leg. (IAVH). Diagnosis. Apterous female of Gonatopus with palpal formula 6/3, pronotum crossed by deep transverse furrow (Fig. 2), stalk between prothorax and metathorax + propodeum less than twice as long as broad (Fig. 1), mesoscutum and metanotum with two lateral pointed apophyses (Fig. 4), metanotum not hollow behind mesoscutellum (Fig. 2), metapectal-propodeal disc unsculptured (Fig. 4), meso-metapleural suture distinct and complete (Fig. 4), protarsomere 1 slightly shorter than protarsomere 4, enlarged claw with one small subapical tooth (Fig. 5). Description of Female holotype. Apterous (Figs 1, 2); length 3.2 mm. Head black, except mandible testaceous; antenna black; mesosoma and metasoma black; legs black, except part of trochanters and meso- and metatarsi testaceous. Antenna clavate, without ADOs; antennomeres in following proportions: 7:5:11:5:5:5:5:4:4:6. Head (Fig. 3) excavated, shiny, unsculptured, partly granulated; frontal line complete; occipital carina shortly present on sides of posterior ocelli; POL = 2; OL = 1; OOL = 7. Palpal formula 6/3. Pronotum shiny, smooth, unsculptured, crossed by strong transverse impression. Mesoscutum shiny, smooth, with two lateral pointed apophyses (Fig. 4). Metanotum smooth, not hollow behind mesoscutellum (Fig. 2), with lateral sides protruding (pointed protrusions) (Fig. 4). Metapectal propodeal complex shiny, smooth, unsculptured, except numerous transverse keels on propodeal declivity; metapectal-propodeal disc shiny, smooth, unsculptured, without median longitudinal furrow. Mesopleuron unsculptured, not transversely striate. Metapleuron transversely striate. Meso-metapleural suture distinct and complete, broad and step-shaped. Protarsomeres in following [...]

Zootaxa, Mar 5, 2017

Gonadryinus bicarinatus Olmi, Marletta, Guglielmino & Speranza, sp. nov., from Ranomafana Nationa... more Gonadryinus bicarinatus Olmi, Marletta, Guglielmino & Speranza, sp. nov., from Ranomafana National Park (Fianarantsoa Province, Madagascar) is described and illustrated. This represents the first record of Gonadryinus from the Afrotropical region. The genus was previously known only from the Neotropical region, where only one species, G. hansoni Olmi, 1991, is recorded. The new taxon is different from G. hansoni because of the palpal formula 5/3 (4/2 in G. hansoni), the occipital carina complete (incomplete in G. hansoni) and two longitudinal keels present on the dorsal surface of the metapectal-propodeal complex (no longitudinal keels in G. hansoni).

The key insect pest of the olive grove is the olive fly, Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin) because it aff... more The key insect pest of the olive grove is the olive fly, Bactrocera oleae (Gmelin) because it affects the quantitative and qualitative production of olive oil. In order to first attract and then kill B. oleae adults before egg laying, thus limiting the infestation and avoiding treatments on the whole olive grove, we tested a mixture of the female sexual pheromone of the olive fly (1.7 dioxaspiro-5.5 undecane), the protein hydrolisate Buminal, and the insecticide Deltamethrin. We also tested different doses of the female sexual pheromone (1999: 1.212 ml/hl water and 2.424 ml/hl water; 2000: 2.424 ml/hl water and 4.848 ml/hl water). Both in 1999 and in 2000, treatments were applied when the gravity index Z exceeded the threshold level Z > 0.10. Irrespective of the general infestation level (high or low), the mixture successfully attracted and killed B. oleae adults. In both years, the mixture containing the pheromone at a dose of 2.424 ml/hl was the most effective.

Ecological Modelling, Sep 1, 2021

Abstract This paper introduces a novel general model based on Ordinary Differential Equations (OD... more Abstract This paper introduces a novel general model based on Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) which is able to describe the population dynamics of a large class of insect pests. The proposed model is a physiologically-inspired generalization of a number of ad hoc models presented through the years in the literature. Its main feature is that it allows the systematic generation of a population model for a species by simply defining its key features, namely the sex ratio and the development, fertility, and mortality rates. The first part of the paper provides a detailed description of the model and shows that most ODE-based models existing in literature can be obtained as a special case of the proposed model. The second part of the paper shows an application of the model to the spotted wing drosophila Drosophila suzukii, which is a highly relevant pest in agriculture. The biological features of this species, i.e., the sex ratio and the various rates, were retrieved from the existing scientific literature. The obtained model was validated using data from a three-year survey conducted in two experimental fields. Results show that the model describes faithfully the experimental populations, although the simulations were performed completely in open-loop and without any adaptation of the parameters extracted from the existing literature.

Ecological Informatics, Nov 1, 2023

Acta horticulturae, Jul 1, 1999

Revista de fruticultura, 2018

espanolCon mas de 80.000 ha de plantaciones de avellano, Italia es el segundo pais productor mund... more espanolCon mas de 80.000 ha de plantaciones de avellano, Italia es el segundo pais productor mundial de avellana despues de Turquia, seguido por Azerbaiyan, Georgia, Estados Unidos y Espana. En Italia, existen muchas asociaciones de agricultores, con el objetivo de agrupar la produccion y promover acciones para mejorar la calidad del fruto y para gestionar los apoyos financieros europeos. El cultivo de este fruto seco en Italia ha ido aumentado en la ultima decada, debido a su rentabilidad. Las nuevas plantaciones recientemente establecidas, se basan en plantas a un solo pie con marcos de plantacion de mayor densidad (5×3 m) si se comparan con las plantaciones tradicionales (5×5m). En la gestion de las plantaciones se esta desarrollando riego localizado subterraneo, fertirrigacion y nutricion foliar; poda mecanica y manejo integrado de plagas y enfermedades. Sin embargo, una mejora en las tecnicas de gestion de plantaciones tambien sigue siendo necesaria para una alta rentabilidad y sostenibilidad ambiental del cultivo de avellano en Italia. EnglishWith more than 80.000 ha of hazelnut orchards, Italy is the second largest hazelnut producer country after Turkey worldwide, followed by Azerbaijan, Georgia, USA and Spain. In Italy, many farmer associations exist, with the aim to commercialize jointly the production and promote actions for improving the nuts and kernels quality and for managing European financial supports. The hazelnut cultivation in Italy has steadily increased in the last decade, due to the profitability of this crop. The new orchards recently established are based on single trunk plants using higher–density plantations distances (5×3 m) if compared with the previous plantings (up to 5×5 m), and renewed orchard management techniques are being developed using sub–irrigation systems, fertigation and foliar nutrition, mechanical pruning and harvesting and integrated pests and diseases management. However, an increasing in development the orchard management techniques is still needed for a higher profitability and environmental sustainability of the hazelnut production chain in Italy.

Burleigh Dodds series in agricultural science, Jul 26, 2019

Acta horticulturae, Oct 1, 2018

Hazelnut production in Turkey, which is carried out in a land area of approximately 700 thousand ... more Hazelnut production in Turkey, which is carried out in a land area of approximately 700 thousand hectares and yields ~600 thousand tons per year of in shell nuts, makes up about 70% of world hazelnut production. Turkey is followed by Italy, Georgia, USA, Azerbaijan, China, Iran, Spain, respectively, in terms of major hazelnut producing countries. Italy is the second largest hazelnut producing country with a production area of 70 thousand hectares. Its share of world production is approximately 10%. Spain is one other main hazelnut producing country with 14 thousand tons per year. A new European ERASMUS + Project "Examination of modern and traditional applications in hazelnut production" was prepared highlighting a "Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices". Four partners from Turkey (Ordu Commercial Excange, Ordu University, Ordu Governor and Altınordu Chamber of Agriculture), one from Italy (Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo), and one from Spain (IRTA-Mas de Bover, Tarragona) are involved in this EU project. The most fundamental problem in hazelnut is low quality and low yield according to the World trade union. Accordingly, teaching new methods to the farmers by sharing the best practices with vocational training in Turkey, Italy and Spain, which enjoy the highest shares in hazelnut culture, would make great contributions to this issue. At the same time, this would also provide policy makers with new ideas. Farmers learning appropriate agricultural methods and implementing them would increase hazelnut production and improve fruit quality. The expected goals of the project are to develop cooperation between the institutions, increase hazelnut quality and productivity, learn and adopt new farming methods, plant a pilot orchard, draft a hazelnut booklet, increase the communication between farmers, and share the best practices among three countries. At the end of the project, the outputs obtained will be disseminated to all hazelnut sectors.

Journal of Stored Products Research, 2021

The rice moth Corcyra cephalonica is a harmful insect pest for grains stocked in storage systems.... more The rice moth Corcyra cephalonica is a harmful insect pest for grains stocked in storage systems. Its infestations represent a serious concern among producers, because of the non-marketability of the products affected by it and subsequent economic losses. New technologies are improving the supply chain of the stored grains, in line with the integrated pest management framework. However, a prompt control action also requires an in-depth knowledge of insect pests' biology and their response to environmental parameters. If this information is available, it can also be translated into mathematical language. The modelling of insect pest populations is increasing in utility, particularly if the models are included in decision support systems. The aim of this work concerns two aspects of a model application and validation. Since physiologically based models require information about interactions between species and environment, C. cephalonica individuals were reared at different constant temperatures: 18, 21, 24, 26, 28, 30, 34 and 36 °. This first part provided the life tables, whose data were used to estimate the parameters of the Logan, Briére, and Sharpe and De Michele development rate functions. The second part of the work concerns the application of a physiologically based model described by a first order partial differential equation. The validation of the simulations was conducted with a semi-field experimentation with three repetitions. Results showed that the life tables are well represented by the Sharpe and De Michele development rate function, and that the physiologically based model proposed is reliable in representing field populations.

ZooKeys, Aug 12, 2019

A new species of Dryinus Latreille, 1804, is described from Georgia (USA). D. georgianus sp. nov.... more A new species of Dryinus Latreille, 1804, is described from Georgia (USA). D. georgianus sp. nov. is morphologically similar to D. mexicanus (Perkins, 1907) and D. splendidus Guglielmino and Olmi, 2013, but is distinguished by the lateral ocelli not touching the occipital carina (in the other two species, the lateral ocelli touch the occipital carina). The key to the females of the Nearctic species of Dryinus group 1 is modified to include the new taxon.

Fungal Biology, Dec 1, 2019

This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

Ecological Informatics, Sep 1, 2022

Ecological Modelling, Nov 1, 2020

Among the models used to describe insect pest populations, the Distributed Delay Model has been a... more Among the models used to describe insect pest populations, the Distributed Delay Model has been applied in several case studies in recent years. Its success is due mainly to its simplicity, and its versatility to be easily included in software to calculate numerical solutions. In its original formulation, the Distributed Delay Model provides, as a solution, the distribution of the insects' maturation flow; then, this is compared with monitoring in field applications. A different form of the model can be obtained, with the same assumptions, to describe the distribution of the number of individuals which are in a specific life stage at time t. The first aim of this work was to show the mathematical details in order to obtain the second form of the Distributed Delay Model, and to calculate its analytical solutions. The second aim was to analyse the model's behaviour in describing insect pest's population in varying environmental conditions, specifically in terms of temperature. To pursue this second aim, two case studies of noteworthy relevance in agriculture were considered: the pepper weevil, Anthonomus eugenii and the European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana. For each case study, field populations were simulated with both the Distributed Delay Model versions, and the results were compared to determine the most appropriate model for application in the case of insect pest populations. Both the case studies highlighted that the novel formulation presented in this work significantly improves simulation, providing a more reliable representation of field data.

Florida Entomologist, Jul 10, 2020

Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the most severe pests for sweet and... more Anthonomus eugenii Cano (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is one of the most severe pests for sweet and hot varieties of pepper (Capsicum spp.; Solanaceae). The species is distributed widely, principally in Central America, but in 2013 it was detected for the first time in the Lazio region of Italy. Modelling plays a key role in reducing chemical treatments used on Capsicum spp., but reliable predictions of pest populations require adjusted tools, as well as intense knowledge of the insect's biology and its typical environment. The main goal of this work is to describe the life cycle of A. eugenii with a physiologically based model, which links the population dynamics with the environmental parameters. More specifically, this analysis focuses on the different response of the age-structured model in relation to the development rate function in input. Two methodologies to determine the best representative development rate function suitable for simulations are proposed; the first is "a priori analysis," whereas the second is the "a posteriori analysis." Simulations were compared with semi-field data, collected in a controlled experimental greenhouse where A. eugenii developed in varying temperature conditions. Results showed that the model used is adequate to describe A. eugenii population dynamics and highlighted how the a posteriori analysis can be essential to (i) analyze the simulation outputs, and (ii) determine the best representing development rate function, if the a priori analysis does not provide this information sufficiently clearly.

Ecological Informatics, Sep 1, 2020

Mathematical models are a powerful tool when used to describe ectotherms' life cycles, above all ... more Mathematical models are a powerful tool when used to describe ectotherms' life cycles, above all for their suitability in being utilised for decision support systems. In particular, two models continue to arouse the interest of the scientific community and inspire new developments: the Manetsch-VanSickle Distributed Delay Model and the Von Foerster equation. Even though these models have been widely studied, discussed and applied, some aspects relating to their different points of view in representations of the same life cycle are yet to be explored. One of the main issues open for ongoing investigation is the different modes of division in preimaginal stages, which leads to different interpretations of the concept of age between the two models. The Distributed Delay Model considers a subdivision in h chained preimaginal stages with the same size, based on the concept of physiological time, in which the development of the species is related to the daily average temperature. On the other hand, the Von Foerster equation considers chronological age, defined commonly as a time with a different scale. This work highlights the analogies between the two models and shows, using the case study of L. botrana, how to obtain the number of the h stages considered by the Distributed Delay Model, from the number of observed preimaginal stages of the Von Foerster equation. To make the models comparable, the upwind scheme has been applied to the Von Foerster equation, leading to a system of ordinary differential equations that is similar to the Distributed Delay Model.

Florida Entomologist, Sep 1, 2016

Zootaxa, Mar 5, 2017

Ecological Modelling, Sep 1, 2021

Ecological Informatics, Nov 1, 2023

Acta horticulturae, Jul 1, 1999

Revista de fruticultura, 2018

Burleigh Dodds series in agricultural science, Jul 26, 2019

Acta horticulturae, Oct 1, 2018

Journal of Stored Products Research, 2021

ZooKeys, Aug 12, 2019

Fungal Biology, Dec 1, 2019

Ecological Informatics, Sep 1, 2022

Ecological Modelling, Nov 1, 2020

Florida Entomologist, Jul 10, 2020

Ecological Informatics, Sep 1, 2020

Pest Management Science, 2022

BACKGROUND: The pine tortoise scale, Toumeyella parvicornis (Cockerell, 1897), is a damaging inse... more BACKGROUND: The pine tortoise scale, Toumeyella parvicornis (Cockerell, 1897), is a damaging insect pest native to North America. Its accidental introduction into Europe, where it was first reported in central-southern Italy, is leading to severe infestations among stone pine trees, Pinus pinea L. causing severe infestations and generating a major risk to the health and safety of the citizens as well. This preliminary study aimed at finding an effective low-impact control strategy against Toumeyella parvicornis. We evaluated the effect of endotherapic abamectin injected into infested stone pines in the Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica (Rome). RESULTS: Results showed that endotherapic abamectin significantly reduced the pine tortoise adult female populations and had a persistence into plants of approximately 60 days. The first trace of abamectin on the plant's crown was detected 1 month after the treatment. Moreover, the survey highlighted a higher presence of the pest on the twigs of the plants than on needles. CONCLUSIONS: These findings offer an important tool in fighting the damaging activity of this phytophagous, especially in an urban context where interventions with treatments are strictly regulated by national laws. Endotherapy, in fact, would reduce the dispersion of active ingredients by drift, an aspect that could represent a valid alternative to manage plants in public areas. Given the actual lack of scientific information about other control solutions, abamectin endotherapic treatments would be the more effective strategy currently applicable.

In recent years interest in chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) cultivation has increased in Central... more In recent years interest in chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) cultivation has increased in Central Italy. Government Research Departments have been requested to address issues concerning plant health in chestnut orchards. The most pressing problem is linked to the presence of phytophages, which directly affect production. Chestnut quality is the most important feature of saleable production. The main phytophagies affecting this crop have already been identified by researchers as: Curculio elephas Gyll. (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), Pammene fasciana L., Cydia fagiglandana (Zell.), Cydia splendana L. (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae), among which the Curculionidae are the key pests. In Central Italy there are areas (Vallerano, Viterbo) where C. elephas may attack as much as 90 % of production, compromising the whole yield. The presence of tortrix moths also affects saleable production, but infestation levels are always lower than chestnut weevil levels. Guided and biological control tests are being carried out in order to contain key pest populations.

In our paper we evaluated a statistical-mathematic forecast model on the seriousness of the infes... more In our paper we evaluated a statistical-mathematic forecast model on the seriousness of the infestation of Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) which is in some years particularly favourable to Tripetidae, and can cause considerable qualitative and quantitative damage. Three cultivars which represent the Albanian olive-growing environment were taken into consideration: "Boçi", "Kalinjot" and "Ulliri i Bardhë i Tiranës". It was necessary to do treatment only for the Boçi cultivar while the Ulliri i Bardhë i Tiranës and Kalinjot were not treated because the intervention threshold (Z) was not reached. At harvest, Ulliri i Bardhë i Tiranës and Kalinjot showed slight levels of infestation (about 7%) and the oils obtained were of outstanding quality (extra virgin). The untreated Boçi cultivar, instead, had 67% infested drupes at harvest and the oil extracted showed serious defects and an acidity of 1.97. 2010 was marked by a high intensity of infestation detected in the Boçi cultivar that has allowed us to prove the validity of the mathematical forecast model on the seriousness of the infestation. It is worth noting that in years of low intensity of infestation, we would not have significant responses, as we have highlighted in several olive groves in Italy and abroad. The results indicated that the applied model accurately forecasts the trend of the infestation regarding the average catches of females/trap/week and the average temperature of the same week. In light of the present results, we suggest extending research to other native cultivars and in different olive-growing environments; this will allow us to single out more suitable cultivars which can be included in the development programs of the Albanian olive-growing.

Hazelnut production in Turkey, which is carried out in a land area of approximately 700 thousand ... more Hazelnut production in Turkey, which is carried out in a land area of approximately 700 thousand ha and yields ~600 thousand t year-1 of in shell nuts, makes up about 70% of the world’s hazelnut production. Turkey is followed by Italy, Georgia, USA, Azerbaijan, China, Iran, Spain, respectively, in terms of major hazelnut producing countries. Italy is the second largest hazelnut producing country with a production area of 70 thousand ha. Its share of world production is approximately 10%. Spain is one other main hazelnut producing country with 14 thousand t year-1. A new European ERASMUS + Project “Examination of modern and traditional applications in hazelnut production” was prepared highlighting a “Cooperation for Innovation and the Exchange of Good Practices”. Four partners from Turkey (Ordu Commercial Exchange, Ordu University, Ordu Governor and Altınordu Chamber of Agriculture), one from Italy (Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo), and one from Spain (IRTA-Mas de Bover, Tarragona) are involved in this EU project. The most fundamental problem in hazelnut is low quality and low yield according to the World trade union. Accordingly, teaching new methods to the farmers by sharing the best practices with vocational training in Turkey, Italy and Spain, which enjoy the highest shares in hazelnut culture, would make great contributions to this issue. At the same time, this would also provide policy makers with new ideas. Farmers learning appropriate agricultural methods and implementing them would increase the hazelnut production and improve fruit quality. The expected goals of the project are to develop cooperation between the institutions, increase hazelnut quality and productivity, learn and adopt new farming methods, plant a pilot orchard, draft a hazelnut booklet, increase the communication between farmers, and share the best practices among three countries. At the end of the project, the outputs obtained will be disseminated to all hazelnut sectors. © 2018 International Society for Horticultural Science. All Rights Reserved.

A new species of Gonatopus Ljungh, 1810 is described from the USA, Florida: G. jacki sp. n. Morph... more A new species of Gonatopus Ljungh, 1810 is described from the USA, Florida: G. jacki sp. n. Morphologically, the new species is similar to G. ashmeadi Kieffer, 1905 and G. agropyrus Fenton, 1921, but it is distinguished by the different shape of the mesoscutum (very slender in G. jacki; broader in G.ashmeadi and G.agropyrus). Published identification keys to the Nearctic species of Gonatopus are modified to include the new species. © Adalgisa Guglielmino et al.

A new species of Deinodryinus Perkins, 1907, is described from the USA, Texas: D. bimaculatus sp.... more A new species of Deinodryinus Perkins, 1907, is described from the USA, Texas: D. bimaculatus sp. n. Morphologically the new species is similar to D. masneri (Olmi, 1984), but it is distinguished by the head lacking a frontal line and the forewing crossed by two dark transverse bands; in D. masneri the head shows a conspicuous frontal line and the forewing is hyaline and without dark transverse bands. © Stefano Speranza et al.

A new species of Dryinidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) is described from India: Gonatopus xui sp.... more A new species of Dryinidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea) is described from India: Gonatopus xui sp. n. It is the first species of Dryinidae reported from Himachal Pradesh. The new species belongs to group 7 of Gonatopus. The key to the females of the Oriental species of Gonatopus group 7 is modified to include the new taxon. The new species is named after the late Professor Zaifu Xu, from Guangzhou (China), well-known specialist of Chinese dryinids. © 2018 CREA-DC, Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification. All Rights Reserved.

Dryinus maderai sp. Nov. (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae) is described from Upper Cretaceous Lower Cenoma... more Dryinus maderai sp. Nov. (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae) is described from Upper Cretaceous Lower Cenomanian, Burmese amber (Myanmar). It is the first species of Dryinus Latreille found in this amber. © Copyright 2018 Magnolia Press.

ROOT is a software package developed by a CERN project started in 1994 by René Brun for statistic... more ROOT is a software package developed by a CERN project started in 1994 by René Brun for statistical analysis in high-energy physics. This software package can also be used in the field of protecting plants against pest insects. Indeed, for a long time there has been a significant use of the Distributed-Delay Model, but there is no specific software available to date that is useful for following the research from the first step to simulations and field validations. This work, through ROOT's libraries, builds a series of macros that consent to do non-linear fits with functions such as Erlang PDF, linear-rate, Logan, Briére, Sharpe and De Michele, thereby giving support to the parameters-estimate step in laboratory sessions and then numerically solving the Distributed-Delay Model equations. This study supplies results both graphically and numerically. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.

The Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), commonly known as the tomato leaf miner, ... more The Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), commonly known as the tomato leaf miner, is arousing interest throughout the scientific community because of its aggressiveness against Lycopersicon spp., Capsicum spp. and Solanum spp. Significant economic losses surrounding the tomato plant have been reported in different parts of the world and these are, above all, the result of the immense capacity of the tomato leaf miner to reproduce within its life cycle, which spans an average of 30 days. The aim of this paper is the demonstration of a novel mathematical model capable to describe ectotherms life cycle, and to test it in the case of T. absoluta. A mathematical description can help farmers and stakeholders to forecast when the stages at which the insect is most susceptible to control strategies, will be reached. This will allow timely planning for the performance of the most efficient and environmentally friendly control strategy. The model is based on a first order partial differential equation, which can describe the density of population in function of the time t, and physiological age x, and which is driven by the environmental parameters and fundamental conditions for poikilothermic organisms. The result is a simulation of the life cycle, which depicts that the development of the insect is largely due to daily average temperature. This study is strengthened by double validation with semi-field data collected in an experimental greenhouse. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.

Metanteon poirieri sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae: Anteoninae) is described from New Caledonia.... more Metanteon poirieri sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae: Anteoninae) is described from New Caledonia. The genus Metanteon Olmi, 1984, was known only from the southern region of Argentina and Chile. The unique species attributed previously to this genus is M. aerias (Walker, 1839), collected in Chile by Charles Darwin during his famous trip on the HMS Beagle. M. aerias is associated only with leafhoppers feeding on Southern Beeches (Nothofagus spp.), a genus of Nothofagaceae including species of trees and shrubs native to the southern Hemisphere in southern South America (Argentina, Chile) and Australasia (east and southeast Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and New Caledonia). Like Nothofagus, Metanteon is a transantarctic organism. Copyright © 2019 Magnolia Press.

The diversity of the fungal community associated with adults of Dryocosmus kuriphilus following e... more The diversity of the fungal community associated with adults of Dryocosmus kuriphilus following emergence was examined using HTS analysis. Ascomycota dominated the fungal core-biome community. The functional guilds of the 90 taxa forming the core-biome were assessed, demonstrating three main groups: saprotrophs, plant pathogens and entomopathogens. Twenty-nine OTUs out of 90 were resolved to species level identifying 26 different fungal species. Among these species, many were cosmopolitan or previously recorded in Europe. Ten taxa were previously recorded on chestnut, including some recognized plant pathogens associated with foliage and green tissues such as Epicoccum nigrum, Gnomoniopsis castanea, Colletotrichum acutatum, Stromatoseptoria castaneicola, Ramularia endophylla. Beauveria bassiana; within the core microbiome, Fusarium larvarum represented the most abundant entomopathogenic species. Some of these species are known to impact directly or indirectly the vitality of the insects in the galls. The chestnut blight pathogen, Cryphonectria parasitica, was never found associated with D. kuriphilus. Based on the present study, an active role for D. kuriphilus as a vector of chestnut fungal endophyte/pathogens cannot be demonstrated but neither ruled out. © 2019 British Mycological Society

Gonatopus duranprietoae sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae: Gonatopodinae) from Colombia is describ... more Gonatopus duranprietoae sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae: Gonatopodinae) from Colombia is described and illustrated. This new species belongs to Gonatopus group 7. In this group, G. duranprietoae is similar to G. peruvianus Olmi, from Peru. The main difference between these two species is the shape of the metanotum: in G. duranprietoae lateral regions with two small pointed protrusions, which are absent in G. peruvianus. The key to the Neotropical species of Gonatopus group 7 is modified to include this new species. © 2019 Magnolia Press

Authors explored the potential use of Vis/NIR hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and Fourier-transform N... more Authors explored the potential use of Vis/NIR hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and Fourier-transform Near-Infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy to be used as in-line tools for the detection of unsound chestnut fruits (i.e. infected and/or infested) in comparison with the traditional sorting technique. For the intended purpose, a total of 720 raw fruits were collected from a local company. Chestnut fruits were preliminarily classified into sound (360 fruits) and unsound (360 fruits) batches using a proprietary floating system at the facility along with manual selection performed by expert workers. The two batches were stored at 4 ± 1 °C until use. Samples were left at ambient temperature for at least 12 h before measurements. Subsequently, fruits were subjected to non-destructive measurements (i.e. spectral analysis) immediately followed by destructive analyses (i.e. microbiological and entomological assays). Classification models were trained using the Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) by pairing the spectrum of each fruit with the categorical information obtained from its destructive assay (i.e., sound, Y = 0; unsound, Y = 1). Categorical data were also used to evaluate the classification performance of the traditional sorting method. The performance of each PLS-DA model was evaluated in terms of false positive error (FP), false negative error (FN) and total error (TE) rates. The best result (8% FP, 14% FN, 11% TE) was obtained using Savitzky-Golay first derivative with a 5-points window of smoothing on the dataset of raw reflectance spectra scanned from the hilum side of fruit using the Vis/NIR HSI setup. This model showed similarity in terms of False Negative error rate with the best one computed using data from the FT-NIR setup (i.e. 15% FN), which, however, had the lowest global performance (17% TE) due to the highest False Positive error rate (19%). Finally, considering that the total error rate committed by the traditional sorting system was about 14.5% with a tendency of misclassifying unsound fruits, the results indicate the feasibility of a rapid, in-line detection system based on spectroscopic measurements. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee Italian Society for Horticultural Science (Società di Ortoflorofrutticoltura Italiana; SOI), Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy. This work is an open access article distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY NC) 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

In summer 2016 a severe infestation of the alien ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus compactus was record... more In summer 2016 a severe infestation of the alien ambrosia beetle Xylosandrus compactus was recorded from the Mediterranean maquis in the Circeo National Park in Central Italy. Trees and shrubs were infested and displayed wilting and necrosis of terminal branches caused by the combined impact of the insect and associated pathogenic fungi. A preliminary screening carried out on captured adults resulted in the isolation of a discrete number of fungal taxa with different life strategies, ranging from true mutualist (e.g. Ambrosiella xylebori) to plant pathogens (Fusarium spp.). In the present study, high-throughput sequencing was applied to determine the total diversity and functionality of the fungal community associated with X. compactus adults collected in the galleries of three Mediterranean woody hosts, Quercus ilex, Laurus nobilis, and Ceratonia siliqua. The effect of season and host in determining the composition of the associated fungal community was investigated. A total of 206 OTUs composed the fungal community associated with X. compactus. Eighteen OTUs were shared among the three hosts, including A. xylebori and members of the Fusarium solani complex. All but two were previously associated with beetles. Sixty-nine out of 206 OTUs were resolved to species level, identifying 60 different fungal species, 22 of which already reported in the literature as associated with beetles or other insects. Functional guild assigned most of the fungal species to saprotrophs and plant pathogens. Effects of seasonality and host on fungal community assemblage were highlighted suggesting the acquisition by the insect of new fungal taxa during the invasion process. The consequences of enriched fungal community on the risk of the insurgence of novel threatful insect–fungus association are discussed considering direct and indirect effects on the invaded habitat. © 2020 British Mycological Society

The mathematical description of poikilothermic organisms’ life cycle, of insects in particular, i... more The mathematical description of poikilothermic organisms’ life cycle, of insects in particular, is a widely discussed argument, above all for its application in decision support systems. The increasing interest among agricultural industries in obtaining products with minor quantities of chemical inputs has led entomologists and model scientists to study in greater depth not only the biology and behaviour of the insects, but also the way to translate these mechanisms into mathematical language. The aim of this work is to provide a new instrument to describe insect pests’ population density. In particular, the study analyses insects’ development through the life stages driven by environmental factors. This has led researchers to consider physiological age, instead of the more widely used chronological age. In addition to mortality and fertility rates, the possibility of improving the simulation by inserting as a boundary condition results from previous field monitoring or the links with diapause models has been considered. The work is validated in the case of the European grapevine moth Lobesia botrana. © 2020, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II".

Ambrosia beetles exhibit broad host ranges but a narrow preference based on the condition of the ... more Ambrosia beetles exhibit broad host ranges but a narrow preference based on the condition of the host. Tissues infected by pathogens or containing ethanol can facilitate attacks by ambrosia beetles, although it still remains unclear how these factors interact. The present study aimed to examine how (i) chestnut logs infected with the fungal pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica and treated with ethanol (i.e. baited with ethanol lure, soaked in ethanol or untreated) and (ii) hornbeam logs soaked in different ethanol concentrations (3–12.5%) affect host selection and colonization success of ambrosia beetles. Ethanol-soaked logs were more attractive to Anisandrus dispar than ethanol-baited logs or untreated logs, although this difference was more evident in uninfected than infected logs. Increasing ethanol concentration in host tissues was differentially attractive to Xyleborinus saxesenii and Xylosandrus germanus. A nonlinear relationship was also documented between ethanol concentration and emergence of X. germanus adults. Overall, the results obtained suggest that the presence of C. parasitica in chestnut logs can affect host selection in ambrosia beetles. In addition, the ethanol concentration in tree tissues affects host selection and colonization success, although the effect varies depending on the beetle species. This contrasting response could be a niche-partitioning mechanism based on ethanol within host tissues. © 2019 The Royal Entomological Society

In the context of plant protection strategies against insect pests, the role of modelling is arou... more In the context of plant protection strategies against insect pests, the role of modelling is arousing interest among entomologists and environmental scientists. This work aims to provide an application of a computational tool, which includes a modified version of Von Foerster's equation to perform simulations for crop protection. More specifically, this software, named EntoSim, follows scientists and final users in each step of a simulation process. For this purpose, the program is divided into two blocks: the first contains a “laboratory phase”, in which scientists rear cohorts of insects at different constant temperatures to obtain life tables. The second block contains a simulation process and validation using field data. The developed tool was applied to the grapevine moth Lobesia botrana (Denis & Schiffermüller) alongside a 3-year validation process (2014, 2015, 2016 seasons), using data related to a monitoring activity in a vineyard located in the Castelli Romani area (Lazio, Italy). Results are a series of simulations of L. botrana life cycle, using daily average temperature as main driving variable for insect development. Comparison between simulations and field data showed a positive accordance, particularly in the 2016 season, confirming the reliability of both population dynamics model and computational tool. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

Bocchus pratti sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae: Bocchinae) is described from California, USA. Th... more Bocchus pratti sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae: Bocchinae) is described from California, USA. The key to the males of the Nearctic species of the genus Bocchus Ashmead, is modified to include the new species. © 2020 Magnolia Press.