Morphological characteristics and density of Bracon (Habrobracon) concolorans Marshall,1900 (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a native Turkish parasitoid of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), on greenhouse-grown tomatoes in Antalya, Türkiye

Abstract

Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the most significant pests of tomato. Chemical pesticides are prioritized in pest control, and this poses risks to both the environment and human health. Although commercial biological agents are occasionally?increasingly? used for control, understanding the density of existing parasitoids and predators of the pest is crucial for the effectiveness of integrated pest management. In this study, the parasitism rate of the native parasitoid Bracon (Habrobracon) concolorans Marshall, 1900 (Hymenoptera:Braconidae) collected from T. absoluta infesting tomato plants Antalya was investigated. Tomato leaf samples were collected weekly from a greenhouse in Elmalı/Antalya in October-November 2019, and cultured. The samples were monitored daily to record the number of pests and parasitoids that reached the adult stage. According to the results, 2004 T. absoluta and 478 B. (H.) concolorans adults were obtained from 221 infedted leaves. The number of parasitoids reaching the adult stage ranged from 1.7 adults to 2.6 adults per leaf. The study also included determinationss of the morphological characteristics of the Antalya population of the parasitoid. Accordingly, the average body length of the parasitoid was 2.13 mm in males and 2.37 mm in females. The average antenna length in males and females was 2.04 mm and 1.80 mm, respectively,and the number of antenna segments was 20-23 and 18-21, respectively.The average ovipositor length was 0.59 mm.