Abstract
Scaevola taccada (Goodeniaceae) is an important evergreen coastal plant on islands in the South China Sea, which shows excellent tolerance for salty and drought conditions. Nevertheless, the growth of S. taccada populations on these islands in the South China Sea has been threatened by a few serious insect pests. However, we know little about the biology of these pests. In this study, we surveyed and identified the parasitoids of two main pests (Herpetogramma submarginale (Swinhoe, 1901) and Ophiomyia scaevolana Shiao and Wu, 1996) of S. taccada communities on Yongxing Island in the South China Sea, with the aim to assess their potential in biological control. Dolichogenidea stantoni (Ashmead, 1904) is a gregarious endoparasitoid of the larva of H. submarginale and contributes an average 48.9% parasitism rate on H. submarginale. Opius biroi, Fischer, 1960 and Euderus albitarsis (Zetterstedt, 1838) are both solitary endoparasitoids of the larva of O. scaevolana, with a respective 5.8% and 64.4% parasitism rate on O. scaevolana. We summarize the species diagnosis, biology, and distribution of the three parasitoid species. The potential of these parasitoids used in biological control is also discussed.
Published Version
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