Jose Villacide

Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria | inta · Área Forestales

1 Sirex noctilio F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) is a wood-boring wasp that attacks many pine species, including commercial trees planted throughout the world. Management of its populations is largely based on biological control using the nematode Beddingia siricidicola. Adult females are sterilized by the nematode, but are free to move and attack new...

The woodwasp Sirex noctilio F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) is probably the most important pest of pine tree plantations of the southern hemisphere. We studied the spatial arrangement of an endemic population of the woodwasp S. noctilio within pine plantations located in northwest Patagonia, Argentina, during three successive years since colonization....

The most significant ecological feature of invasive populations of the wood-boring wasp, Sirex noctilio, is the occurrence of pulse-like eruptive population outbreaks. Pulse-like outbreaks are rapid, local increases in density and are usually terminated by natural enemies or resource defenses or depletion. While S. noctilio populations may remain a...

Patch residence time is at the core of models of decision making by foragers living in patchy environments. We studied patch residence time (PRT) of Ibalia leucospoides, a parasitoid of the woodwasp Sirex noctilio, as assigned to 4 treatments (recent feeding and/or oviposition experience) foraging in an array of host-infested pine logs. We tested t...

We describe flight variability in the woodwasp Sirex noctilio Fabricius, 1793 (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) by studying tethered females in a flight mill device and analyzing output data by a time series methodology. Twenty-eight wasps were flown during 24 h-long periods, under controlled temperature and lighting conditions. The maximum distance recorde...

The growth of international trade, coupled with an expansion of large-scale pine plantations in South America during the second half of the twentieth century, has significantly increased the opportunities for the invasion of forest insects. Bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) are a large and diverse group of insects, commonly recog...

La incorporación de infraestructuras ecológicas, tales como bandas florales, pueden ser estrategias importantes para promover la diversificación del agroecosistema y favorecer los servicios ecosistémicos de organismos benéficos, a la vezde aportar valor estético al contexto productivo. El viñedo, cultivo de gran importancia en Mendoza, se ha maneja...

Leaf‐cutting ants (LCAs) cause significant damage to forest plantations and are mainly managed by broad‐spectrum synthetic insecticides. In Patagonia, Pinus ponderosa (Pinales: Pinaceae) (Douglas 1836) and Pinus contorta (Pinales: Pinaceae) (Dluglas 1838) are the predominant pine species in forest plantations. Previous research has shown that dehyd...

Sympatric-related species often exhibit resource partitioning. This can occur through different mechanisms, such as behavioral, morphological, and sensory variations, leading to qualitative, temporal, or spatial differences in resource exploitation, such as consuming different types of food. Sensory-based niche partitioning could be the underlying...

Dispersal is a multifactorial process which may influence, among several others, population dynamics, inbreeding likelihood, and mate competition. For species that disperse by flight, many studies have suggested that life‐history traits, such as body size or nutritional condition, could promote variation in flight capabilities and, consequently, on...

The growth of international trade, coupled with an expansion of large-scale pine plantations in South America during the second half of the 20th century, has significantly increased the opportunities for invasion of forest insects. Bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae) are a large and diverse group of insects, commonly recognized as...

Sympatric-related species often exhibit resource partitioning. This can occur through different mechanisms, such as behavioral, morphological, and sensory variations, leading to qualitative, temporal, or spatial differences in resource exploitation. Sensory-based niche partitioning could be the underlying mechanism through which closely-related spe...

Pest responses to landscape complexity show variable patterns globally, primarily related to species traits and specific managed habitats. Leaf-cutting ants (LCAs) are native insects and important pests of plantation forests in South America. We evaluated the responses of LCA nests in young Eucalyptus plantations to different spatial contexts: land...

BACKGROUND Sirex noctilio is an invasive forest wasp that affects pines and can result in severe economic losses. The use of semiochemicals offers an opportunity to develop sensitive and specific capturing systems to mitigatenegative impacts. Previous research showed that female S. noctilio would use volatiles emitted by its fungal symbiont, Amylos...

The plantation and natural forests of South America have been highly impacted by native and exotic pests in recent decades. The interaction of emerging invasive pests, climate change, and timber markets will define the region's forests, with significant but uncertain ecological changes and economic losses expected. The Southern Cone Forest Health G...

BACKGROUND Understanding the factors that promote the success of invasive species is important for managing biological invasions. Interactions between invasives and other species (e.g. competitors, pathogens, or predators), could favor or limit their success. In recent decades, yellowjacket wasps, including Vespula germanica and Vespula vulgaris, h...

Leaf-cutting ants (LCAs) are herbivorous insects endemic to the Neotropical region that cause considerable problems in agricultural and forestry production. In particular, LCAs are a major threat for non-native forest plantations in tropical and subtropical Americas. Here we evaluate the presence and abundance of LCA nests in different spatial cont...

Nuestro objetivo fue relevar la diversidad de predadores, himenópteros parasitoides y polinizadores asociados a ocho especies florales implantadas en interfilares de un viñedo bajo manejo orgánico. Las especies utilizadas fueron: Achillea filipendulina, Gazania repens, Salvia microphylla, Salvia greggii, Centranthus ruber, Nepeta racemosa, Coreopsi...

The synergy of biotic and abiotic stress factors influences the response in growth, resistance , recovery and resilience of forest systems. This study used a dendrochronological approach to analyze the annual radial increase and basal area increments (BAI) of Pinus contorta in relation to successive extreme drought events and their influence on tre...

In recent decades, yellowjacket wasps, including Vespula vulgaris, have successfully been established in Patagonia. Additionally, the invasive willow Salix fragilis has also invaded areas next to watercourses, which in turn are typically colonized by the giant willow aphid (GWA, Tuberolagnus salignus), another invasive species. The honeydew exuded...

Invasive insects and pathogens are prominent tree mortality agents in forests around the world, and the magnitude of their impacts is increasing. Comparative studies across multiple populations can be helpful for the development of new insights and innovative management strategies. We used the Sirex woodwasp, Sirex noctilio Fabricius, as a model sy...

In the last decades, growing international trade and tourism have significantly increased the rate at which non-native species reach new ecosystems. Plantation forest systems in Argentina are especially exposed to alien insects partly because they are dominated by pines and eucalypts which have been introduced to produce timber and pulp, based, amo...

Plantation forestry with non-native trees is steadily increasing in the southern hemisphere and alien pest problems are also accumulating, as a consequence of the growing international movement of people and goods. Here, we present an overview of studies on the ecology and on the control practices deployed against the European woodboring wasp Sirex...

Parasitoids rely mainly on infochemicals to search for their herbivore hosts to oviposit on. Megarhyssa nortoni (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) is a parasitoid of siricid wasp larvae which are concealed inside tree stems of several coniferous tree species. This parasitoid is used as a biological control agent against the global pine pest Sir...

In order to increase the probability of reproduction, social insects can adopt various mate‐finding strategies, such as increasing densities of males at specific locations, and/or visual and chemical cues that attract the opposite sex. In field and laboratory studies we investigated strategies used by the invasive eusocial wasp Vespula germanica (F...

Accidental and intentional global movement of species has increased the frequency of novel plant–insect interactions. In Patagonia, the European woodwasp, Sirex noctilio , has invaded commercial plantations of North American pines. We compared the patterns of resin defenses and S. noctilio -caused mortality at two mixed-species forests near San Car...

Softwood forestry with non-native tree species is increasing worldwide and especially in many developing countries of the Southern Hemisphere. Tree plantations are beneficial in environmental and socioeconomic aspects, but at the same time there are recognised costs associated with afforestation. Our aim was to revise the existing information on th...

1. The movement of organisms can be driven by multiple factors and has implications for fitness and the spatial distribution of populations. Insects spend a large proportion of their adult lives foraging by flying for resources; however, their capability and motivation to move can vary across individuals. 2. The aims of this study were to examine i...

Understanding the factors that affect animal dispersal behavior is important from both fundamental and applied perspectives. Dispersal can have clear evolutionary and ecological consequences, but for non-native insect pests, dispersal capacity can also help to explain invasion success. Vespula germanica is a social wasp that in the last century has...

The wood-boring wasp, Sirex noctilio, is a global invasive pest that infects and kills pine trees by inoculating spores of a symbiotic fungus (Amylostereum areolatum) at oviposition. Wasp larvae depend on fungal growth to feed, while the fungus relies on female wasps to initially condition the pine tree by inoculating a phytotoxic venom and for dis...

La dispersión, definida como el movimiento de un individuo desde el entorno parental hacia nuevos sitios, posee importantes consecuencias tanto en el éxito reproductivo individual, como en la dinámica y la genética las poblaciones. Para especies invasores en particular, los mecanismos y patrones de dispersión pueden influir sobre el éxito del estab...

Though rarely used in this way, biological control could potentially be exploited for managing spread of invasive species. Because spread of invasive species emerges from the combined action of population growth and dispersal, natural enemies that affect either of these processes should also affect spread. Dispersal of parasitoid species plays a ke...

Ecología Austral 24:154-161 (2014)El manejo integrado de plagas (MIP) se basa en el conocimiento de la ecología de las especies problema. Se ha sugerido que cuando las plagas son especies invasoras, la comprensión del proceso de invasión puede mejorar aun más nuestra capacidad de control de las plagas. Nuestro objetivo es revisar algunos atributos...

Integrated pest management (IPM) relies on thorough ecological knowledge of the targeted pests. It has been suggested that when these are non-native species, information on their invasion ecology could improve our abilities to successfully manage pest populations. Our aim is to revise the invasion history of two exotic wasps that have invaded NW Pa...

El manejo integrado de plagas (MIP) se basa en el conocimiento de la ecología de las especies problema. Se ha sugerido que cuando las plagas son especies invasoras, la comprensión del proceso de invasión puede mejorar aun más nuestra capacidad de control de las plagas. Nuestro objetivo es revisar algunos atributos claves de la ecología y el comport...

Sirex noctilio Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Siricidae), an invasive woodwasp from Spain and North Africa, has an expanding global presence in pine forests. Although their populations are managed in most parts of the world, the success rate of existing prevention and control strategies has been historically variable, and there is consensus that monitorin...

The frequency of introductions of non-indigenous forest insects into new habitats is increasing worldwide, often with profoundly adverse consequences on natural and plantation forest ecosystems. Understanding rates and patterns of spread of invasive forest insects is important for predicting when and where these species will expand their geographic...

Pollinator foraging performance could be altered by volcanic ash contaminated flowers, pollen, and nectar. We used the honeybee (Apis mellifera) as a model organism to understand the effects that volcanic ash could have on apiculture and establish some of the mechanisms through which it could affect plant–pollinator interactions. Three mechanisms w...

Pine plantations are thought to negatively impact species diversity and to irreversibly modify arid zones. However, some studies have suggested that through the application of appropriate management practices, the negative impacts of plantations may be reduced. Our aim was to study the effects of early pruning and thinning on the ground-dwelling in...

The invasive woodwasp Sirex noctilio has become one of the most significant pests of pine forests throughout the northern and southern hemispheres. In Patagonia (southern Argentina), S. noctilio was first detected in the early 1990s. However, in less than two decades, and despite intensive control efforts, populations have spread, and outbreaks hav...

For insect parasitoids, knowledge of their flight capability is essential for a general understanding of the relationship with their hosts. For instance, flight capacity might partly determine their efficacy as biological control agents. Ibalia leucospoides Hochenwarch (Hymenoptera: Ibaliidae) is a solitary, pro-ovigenic parasitoid of the woodwasp,...

Insects often do foraging flights to search for their different resources. These flights are usually in response to the internal state of the organism and/or to external environmental conditions. The aim of this study was to explore the consequences of food provisioning and prior contact with conspecifics on the flight performance of the solitary a...

We studied the variability of pre-dispersal seed predation by insects on Austrocedrus chilensis (Cupressaceae). This is a dioecious conifer endemic to southern South America (central Chile and the Chilean Argentinean Patagonia) that grows naturally in pure and mixed stands, typically in association with broadleaved Nothofagus species. Seeds are att...

We studied the variability of pre-dispersal seed predation by insects on Austrocedrus chilensis (Cupressaceae). This is a dioecious conifer endemic to southern South America (central Chile and the Chilean Argentinean Patagonia) that grows naturally in pure and mixed stands, typically in association with broadleaved Nothofagus species. Seeds are att...

La presencia de la avispa social Polistes dominulus (Christ) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) fue detectada en el jardkn de una vivienda de la localidad de El Bolsón (Rko Negro), siendo el primer registro para la Argentina. Esta especie de origen Paleirtico, se encuentra establecida en Chile desde hace 20 años.We report the presence of the social wasp Polis...

ABSTRACT

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 Distance (meters) 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 Proportion of attacked trees Sirex noctilio F. (Hymenoptera: Siricidae) is probably the most important pest of softwood plantations in the Southern Hemisphere. Native to Eurasia, this wood-boring, solitary wasp in the last century successfully invaded...