First record of Coccinella septempunctata algerica (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) as host of Dinocampus coccinellae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Euphorinae) in Algeria

L Aitaider,S Doumandji,A Meriem

doi:10.32800/amz.2021.19.0065

Abstract

This study was conducted in fields in the Boumerdes region near Algiers, Algeria between April and September 2019. Two species of Coccinellini, Coccinella septempunctata algerica (Kovàr, 1977) and Hippodamia variegata (Goeze, 1777) were recorded as hosts of the parasitoid Dinocampus coccinellae (Schrank, 1802). The percentage of parasitism observed during the sampling was low. Our results suggest that D. coccinellae is not well adapted to Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773). This work shows that the parasitoid has a greater preference for C. septempunctata algerica than for H. variegata (16.7 % versus 2.2 % of parasitism). Given the low percentage of parasitism due to D. coccinellae, it does not seem that this parasitoid is able to reduce the effectiveness of biocontrol by ladybeetles. This is the first published record of Dinocampus coccinellae as a parasitoid of C. septempunctata algerica in Algeria.

Highlights

Ladybeetles are of great economic importance as they feed on several potential pests, controlling populations in many agricultural systems
C. septempunctata algerica and H. variegata were the most abundant, with 416 individuals found on Daucus carota
This study reports the parasitism of Dinocompus coccinellae on this species for the first time in Algeria

Summary

Introduction

Ladybeetles are of great economic importance as they feed on several potential pests, controlling populations in many agricultural systems. The bioecology of ladybeetles has been well documented in Algeria, especially in the work of Saharaoui (1987, 1994) and Sharaoui et al (2001) These species may be subject to the action of one or more species of natural enemies, such as Dinocampus coccinellae. Dinocampus coccinellae is a parasitoid of another ladybeetle species, Hippodamia variegata (Saharaoui, 1994) This braconidae is a solitary endoparasitoid that exclusively parasitizes Coccinellid species (Firlej et al, 2005; Berkvens et al, 2010; Minaar et al, 2014).

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