Le mutualisme fourmis-pucerons – Comment les fourmis trouvent-elles les pucerons?

Diverse speeche and writing (2011)

Distribution of main Bluetongue virus vectors on Belgium farms

Poster (2011, April 13)

Breeding sites of Bluetongue virus vectors in Belgian cowshed

Conference (2011, April 13)

The semiochemically mediated interactions between bacteria and insects

in Chemoecology (2011), 21

In natural environment, semiochemicals are involved in many interactions between the different trophic levels involving insects, plants and hosts for parasitoids or prey for predators. These volatile ... [more ▼]

In natural environment, semiochemicals are involved in many interactions between the different trophic levels involving insects, plants and hosts for parasitoids or prey for predators. These volatile compounds act as messengers within or between insect species, inducing particular behaviours such as the localisation of a source of food, the orientation to an adequate oviposition site, the selection of a suitable breeding site and the localisation of hosts or prey. In this sense, bacteria have been shown to play an important role in the production of volatile compounds which ones act as semiochemicals. This review, focusing on the semiochemically-mediated interactions between bacteria and insects, highlights that bacterial semiochemicals act as important messengers for insects. Indeed, in most of the studies reported here, insects respond to specific volatiles emitted by specific bacteria hosted by the insect itself (gut, mouthparts, etc.) or present in the natural environment where the insect evolves. Particularly, bacteria from the families Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonaceae and Bacillaceae are involved in many interactions with insects. Because semiochemicals naturally produced by bacteria could be a very interesting option for pest management, advances in this field are discussed in the context of biological control against insect pests. [less ▲]

Etude préliminaire sur la biologie de la mineuse des fruits du safoutier Dacryodes edulis (G. Don.) H.J. Lam. ;Burseraceae) dans le Haut-Ogooué, Gabon.

Poster (2011, April)

Le monitoring de l’entomofaune du safoutier (Dacryodes edulis (G. Don.) H.J.Lam. (Burseraceae) a été réalisé dans le Haut-Ogooué (Gabon) sur deux années successives (2009-2010), du mois d’août au mois ... [more ▼]

Le monitoring de l’entomofaune du safoutier (Dacryodes edulis (G. Don.) H.J.Lam. (Burseraceae) a été réalisé dans le Haut-Ogooué (Gabon) sur deux années successives (2009-2010), du mois d’août au mois décembre. Cette période correspond à la phase de production des fruits (safou) de cet arbre. Parmi les insectes nuisibles inventoriés, la mineuse (Lepidoptera ; Tortricidae) des safou constitue le ravageur majeur causant la chute de 25% des fruits sur grappes. La femelle pond sur les fruits dès la première semaine suivant leur nouaison. Les larves roses, à tête brune, creusent une petite galerie à l’intérieur du fruit dont elles dévorent le noyau. Avant la chute du fruit, la larve sort et nymphose au sol dans un cocon en soie, et l’imago, un petit papillon gris, émerge après deux semaines. Un Ichneumonidae a été reconnu comme parasitoïde de ses larves. Pseudopsondias microcarpa(A.Rich) Engl.(Anacardiaceae) a été identifié comme un autre arbre fruitier hôte de cet insecte. Des études ultérieures approfondiront la connaissance de ce ravageur et pourront permettre d’envisager une stratégie de lutte biologique contre cette mineuse. [less ▲]

Microorganisms from aphids attract hoverflies and enhance their efficacy

Poster (2011, March 05)

Aphids are some of the most serious pests of crops worldwide, causing major yield and economic losses. They damage plants by feeding on the phloem sap, excreting copious amounts of honeydew and, in some ... [more ▼]

Aphids are some of the most serious pests of crops worldwide, causing major yield and economic losses. They damage plants by feeding on the phloem sap, excreting copious amounts of honeydew and, in some cases, vectoring plant diseases. Here, we report the first isolation of a bacterium from the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum honeydew, Staphylococcus sciuri, which is involved in the release of semiochemicals acting as a kairomone for aphid natural enemies. These semiochemicals were identified by Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Our results show that this bacterium plays a key role in the interactions between aphids and natural enemies because it is the direct source of volatiles used by the aphidophagous hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus (De Geer) (Diptera: Syrphidae) to locate its aphid prey. Through wind-tunnel experiments, some specific semiochemicals produced by S. sciuri were identified as significant attractants and ovipositional stimulants. Also, assays under greenhouses and in potato fields have demonstrated that a culture medium containing the bacterium S. sciuri strongly attracts and induces the oviposition of hoverflies, enhancing their efficiency as biological control agents. The use of this no pathogenic bacterium could provide a very novel approach towards enhancing the efficacy of biological control agents to control aphids in field crops and greenhouse systems. [less ▲]

Ant-aphid mutualism : impact of aphid semiochemicals on the foraging behaviour of ants

Poster (2011, March)

Electrophysiological and Behavioral activity of selected cadaveric volatile molecules in Nasonia vitripennis Walker (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)

Poster (2011, March)

Mangerons-nous un jour des insectes ?

Article for general public (2011)

Bien qu'ils soient consommés partout ailleurs, les insectes provoquent en Occident répulsion et dégoût. Pourtant l'entomophagie n'est pas juste une curiosité. Elle représente un apport protéinique ... [more ▼]

Bien qu'ils soient consommés partout ailleurs, les insectes provoquent en Occident répulsion et dégoût. Pourtant l'entomophagie n'est pas juste une curiosité. Elle représente un apport protéinique extrêmement important et constitue sans doute une précieuse ressource alimentaire pour l'avenir. Chronique d'une future révolution alimentaire en Occident... [less ▲]

Surveillance des populations de phlébotomes (Diptera: Psychodidae), vecteurs des agents responsables des leishmanioses dans la région du M'Zab-Ghardaïa (Algérie)

in Entomologie Faunistique = Faunistic Entomology (2011), 63(3), 97-101