Parasitoid Fauna of Two Phyllonorycter spp. (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) on Wild Cherries, and Similarity to Fauna of Apple Leafminers

Abstract

Sixteen species of parasitoids emerged from mines of Phyllonorycter crataegella (Clemens) on pin cherry in Connecticut, and 12 emerged from mines of P. propinquinella (Braun) on black cherry. Fifteen species were eulophids, and one was a braconid. Nine species were primary parasitoids, and seven were facultative hyperparasitoids. Five eulophid species were gregarious. Relative abundance of most parasitoid species differed between host leafminers, although seasonal abundance patterns of some parasitoids were similar. The braconid Pholetesor ornigis (Weed) and the eulophid Sympiesis marylandensis Girault caused most of the parasitism of P. crataegella and P. propinquinella, respectively. Based on two similarity indices, the parasitoid fauna of P. crataegella on sprayed apple trees was more similar to that of P. propinquinella on black cherry than to that of P. crataegella on pin cherry. Both cherry leafminers are important alternate hosts for parasitoid species that attack economically important apple leafminers.