Evaluation of Aphelinus asychis and A. albipodus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) as biological control agents against three pest aphids

Abstract

The potentials of two indigenous parasitoids, Aphelinus asychis and A. albipodus, as biological control agents against three pest aphids, Aphis gossypii, Myzus persicae and Macrosiphum euphorbiae, were assessed. Six traits such as percentage of parasitism, number of aphids killed by host feeding, sex ratio, survival rate during the developmental period, developmental duration and forewing width were used as criteria. M. persicae is known to be a suitable host for A. asychis. So, the suitability of the three aphids as hosts for two parasitoids was evaluated by comparing the values of these traits with the standard values of A. asychis on M. persicae. The values for all traits of A. asychis on A. gossypii and A. albipodus on M. persicae and M. euphorbiae were not greatly different from the standard values. The percentage of parasitism of A. asychis on M. euphorbiae was considerably smaller than the standard value, but the values in the other traits were not greatly different. The percentage of parasitism and number of aphids killed by host feeding were much smaller for A. albipodus on A. gossypii than the standard values. We concluded that A. asychis could be an effective biological control agent against all three pest aphids, and A. albipodus against M. persicae and M. euphorbiae.