Instruct: Identify the main category of Biorxiv papers based on the titles and abstracts
Query: Is what you see what you get? The relationship between field observed and actual aphid parasitism rates in canola crops BACKGROUNDEstimating parasitoid abundance in the field can be difficult, even more so when attempting to quantify parasitism rates and the ecosystem service of biological control that parasitoids can provide. To understand how  observed parasitism rates (in-field mummy counts) of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Homoptera: Aphididae) translate to  actual parasitism rates (laboratory-reared parasitoid counts), field work was undertaken in Australian canola fields over a growing season. Parasitoids were reared within a controlled laboratory setting.

RESULTSTotal observed and actual parasitism rates of M. persicae varied considerably across regions, but less so on a field level. Overall, actual parasitism was on average 2.4 times higher than that observed in the field, with rates an average of 4-fold higher in South Australia. As crop growth stage progressed, the percentage of mummies observed increased. Percentage of parasitoids reared also increased with crop growth stage, averaging 3.4% during flowering and reaching 14.4% during podding/senescing. Although there was a greater diversity of reared parasitoid species at later crop growth stages, actual parasitism rate was unaffected by parasitoid species. Diaeretiella rapae was the most commonly reared parasitoid, increasing in abundance with crop growth stage.

CONCLUSIONThese findings indicate that mummy counts alone do not provide a clear representation of parasitism within fields.
15
The categories of this paper are: developmental
20
The categories of this paper are: pharmacology
16
The categories of this paper are: microbiology
24
The categories of this paper are: cancer
17
The categories of this paper are: molecular
3
The categories of this paper are: evolutionary
31
The categories of this paper are: paleontology
23
The categories of this paper are: immunology
14
The categories of this paper are: biophysics
2
The categories of this paper are: biology
25
The categories of this paper are: bioengineering
9
The categories of this paper are: synthetic
27
The categories of this paper are: pathology
8
The categories of this paper are: genomics
1
The categories of this paper are: bioinformatics
19
The categories of this paper are: epidemiology