Members of the Parasitoid Guild Attacking Natural Enemies of Sugarcane Aphid Melanaphis sacchari Zehntner (Hemiptera: Aphididae), on Sorghum, Sorghum bicolor Moench (L.) (Poaceae), in Southern Tamaulipas, Mexico

Abstract

Sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari Zehntner (Hemiptera: Aphididae), causes economic damage to sorghum crops, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench (Poaceae), in Mexico where the primary method of control is synthetic insecticides. While there are at least 30 natural enemies associated with M. sacchari, the parasitoids of these natural enemies and their effects on populations are unknown. We conducted a sampling and rearing regime of natural enemies of sugarcane aphid at unmanaged, experimental plots of sorghum in Estación Cuauhtémoc, Altamira, Tamaulipas, Mexico. We identified three wasps parasitizing aphid predators: Diplazon laetatorius Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Homalotylus eytelweinii (Ratzeburg) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), and Homalotylus albitarsus Gahan (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). We also identified one hyperparasitoid, Alloxysta sp. Förster (Hymenoptera: Figitidae), which emerged from aphids parasitized by Lysiphlebus testaceipes Cresson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). We also report the frequency of parasitization.