title: Development and parasitism by Aphelinus certus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), a parasitoid of Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae).
abstract: Since its introduction in 2000, the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) has been a serious pest of soybean in North America. Currently, insecticide application is the only recommended control method. However, a number of natural enemies have the potential to regulate soybean aphid  populations. In 2007, Aphelinus certus Yasnosh, a soybean aphid parasitoid native to Asia, was found in commercial soybean fields in Ontario. This is the first record of this species in North America. To evaluate the potential biological control services provided by A. certus for soybean aphid  management, temperature-dependent developmental parameters and functional response to soybean aphid were determined. A. certus is capable of completing its development between temperatures of 15.3 and 30.2°C. The lower thresholds of development for the egg-mummy and mummy-adult life stages  were determined to be 9.1 and 11.6°C, respectively. The lethal temperature of development for the egg-mummy and mummy-adult life stages were 29.5 and 31.0°C, respectively. In this temperature range, A. certus did not exhibit temperature-dependent mortality; however, parasitism rate  increased with temperature. A. certus exhibited a type II functional response to the soybean aphid.
authors.affiliation: School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Frewin
authors.forename: Yingen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Welsman
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Broadbent
authors.forename: Arthur W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Schaafsma
authors.forename: Rebecca H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Hallett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001042:Aphids / Q000469:parasitology*; D061046:Biological Control Agents; D005260:Female; D007814:Larva / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D011679:Pupa / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D013025:Glycine max; D013696:Temperature; D014863:Wasps / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D061046:Biological Control Agents