Encyclop’Aphid: a website on aphids and their natural enemies
Résumé
Because aphids represent major crop pests worldwide and are intensively studied for their agricultural impacts and unusual biological features, there is a constant need to disseminate the knowledge accumulating on these insects to a large audience. Encyclop'Aphid, an online encyclopedia, in both English and French, devoted to aphids and their natural enemies, is intended to meet this need. The website includes five main sections describing 1) aphid traits (taxonomy, morphology, biology), 2) their interactions with other organisms (antagonists, mutualists), 3) their economical impact, 4) some current research themes and 5) a species-by-species presentation of common aphid species and their natural enemies, i.e., pathogenic fungi, insect predators, parasitoids and hyperparasitoids. Encyclop'Aphid also contains several taxonomic identification keys for aphids that attack cultivated plants. It offers freely accessible iconographies and a video library. The website is intended to evolve and to be constantly enriched by new contributions from different international specialists.