title: Evaluation of native plant flower characteristics for conservation biological control of Prays oleae.
abstract: Several studies have shown that manipulating flowering weeds within an agroecosystem can have an important role in pest control by natural enemies, by providing them nectar and pollen, which are significant sources of nutrition for adults. The aim of this study was to assess if the olive moth, Prays oleae (Bernard, 1788) (Lepidoptera: Praydidae), and five of its main natural enemies, the parasitoid species Chelonus elaeaphilus Silvestri (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Apanteles xanthostigma (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Ageniaspis fuscicollis (Dalman) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Elasmus flabellatus (Fonscolombe) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), as well as the predator Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), can theoretically access the nectar from 21 flowering weeds that naturally occur in olive groves. Thus, the architecture of the flowers as well as the mouthpart structure and/or the head and thorax width of the pest and its enemies were analyzed. The results suggested that all beneficial insects were able to reach nectar of the plant species from Apiaceae family, i.e. Conopodium majus (Gouan) Loret, Daucus carota L. and Foeniculum vulgare Mill., as well as Asparagus acutifolius L., Echium plantagineum L., Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medik., Raphanus raphanistrum L., Lonicera hispanica Boiss. et Reut., Silene gallica L., Spergula arvensis L., Hypericum perforatum L., Calamintha baetica Boiss. et Reut, Malva neglecta Wallr. and Linaria saxatilis (L.) Chaz. P. oleae was not able to access nectar from five plant species, namely: Andryala integrifolia L., Chondrilla juncea L., Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter, Sonchus asper (L.) Hill and Lavandula stoechas L.
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences,CITAB,University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro,UTAD,Quinta de Prados, 5001-801,Vila Real,Portugal.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nave
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences,CITAB,University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro,UTAD,Quinta de Prados, 5001-801,Vila Real,Portugal.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences,CITAB,University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro,UTAD,Quinta de Prados, 5001-801,Vila Real,Portugal.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Crespí
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Protection,Estación Experimental de Zaidín,CSIC,Profesor Albareda n° 1,18008 - Granada,Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.affiliation: Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences,CITAB,University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro,UTAD,Quinta de Prados, 5001-801,Vila Real,Portugal.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D035264:Flowers / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000469:parasitology*; D006927:Hymenoptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D007313:Insecta / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D007814:Larva; D008297:Male; D009036:Moths / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D031658:Olea / Q000469:parasitology*; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D057048:Plant Nectar; D011679:Pupa
chemical_list: D057048:Plant Nectar
keywords: floral architecture; habitat management; insect's morphology; natural enemies; pest control