Abundance of the Garden Fleahopper (Hemiptera: Miridae) on Alfalfa and Parasitism by Leiophron uniformis (Gahan) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Abstract

In 1985, the garden fleahopper, Halticus bractatus (Say), was observed damaging alfalfa regrowth in New Jersey. Field observations during the next two years showed that this insect was sporadically abundant but that it usually did not cause noticeable injury to established alfalfa stands. The parasite Leiophron uniformis (Gahan), the first nymphal parasite discovered in this host, was detected in these collections. In addition, a small proportion of garden fleahopper adults was parasitized by this braconid and by an unidentified nematode. L. uniformis killed an average of 50% of all fleahopper nymphs that we sampled and is likely the principal reason why populations of this pest are not larger and more damaging in alfalfa.