title: Insights into food webs associated with the South American tomato pinworm.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The 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 behaviours, usually referred to as intraguild interactions. These can be direct, i.e. one species feeds directly upon the competitor (intraguild predation) or indirect, e.g. when the dominant organism competes for a food source that another organism is feeding upon (kleptoparasitism). We investigated the potential for such interactions in a biological model composed by the South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta, and three of its newly associated natural enemies: the zoophytophagous predator Nesidiocoris tenuis and the two idiobiont ectoparasitoids Bracon nigricans and Necremnus tutae.
  
  
  RESULTS
  N. tenuis was shown (i) to scavenge on parasitised T. absoluta larvae and (ii) directly to attack and feed upon larvae of both parasitoid species, although at a higher percentage in the case of N. tutae. In the presence of the host plant, the predator reduced the emergence of both B. nigricans and N. tutae adults significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study stresses the ecological success of a generalist predator over indigenous parasitoids attacking an invasive pest. Moreover, these findings provide potential elements for better design of biological control programmes against T. absoluta. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naselli
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biondi
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tropea Garzia
authors.affiliation: INRA (French National Institute for Agricultural Research), Université Nice Sophia Antipolis, Institut Sophia Agrobiotech, Sophia Antipolis, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Desneux
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Agatino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Siscaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Lucia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zappalà
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020387:Food Chain; D020062:Heteroptera / Q000502:physiology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D058865:Introduced Species; D007814:Larva / Q000469:parasitology; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000469:parasitology; D009036:Moths / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology*; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D014863:Wasps / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Bracon nigricans; Necremnus tutae; intraguild interaction; mirid predator; tomato borer; trophic network