Species Of Hymenopteran Parasitoids Research Articles

Parasitoid of coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) at Bogor District, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract. Saputra HM, Maryana N, Pudjianto. 2023. Parasitoid of coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) at Bogor District, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 24: 6447-6453. The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is an essential pest of coffee plants that can cause loss and decrease in the quality of coffee berries. Parasitoids were expected to affect the presence of coffee berry borer in the ecosystem as one of its natural enemies. This study aimed to identify and describe the parasitoid of CBB in Bogor District, West Java, Indonesia. The study was conducted from June 2022 to January 2023 on three coffee cultivation located in three sub-districts in Bogor District, i.e., Cijeruk, Dramaga, and Sukamakmur. This study collected attacked coffee berries by CBB from coffee cultivation that kept the coffee berry until the parasitoids emerged and the parasitoids were identified; the morphological characters and descriptions of parasitoids CBB were presented. Ten species of Hymenopteran parasitoids belonging to five families were found. These parasitoids were Microgastrinae, Mendesellinae (Braconidae), Trissolcus sp. (Scelionidae), Anagyrus sp., Marxella sp., Procheiloneurus sp., Pararhopella sp., Parablastothrix sp. (Encyrtidae), Pronotalia sp. (Eulophidae), and Pteromalus sp. (Pteromalidae). The parasitoids of CBB in Bogor District were quite diverse, but their abundance was low.

Resident Hymenopteran Parasitoids with Potential Drosophilid Associations in Andean North Patagonia: Implications for the Biological Control of the Spotted Wing Drosophila.

The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, is native to Southeast Asia and has become a serious pest of soft-skinned fruits worldwide. Several control methods are being tested worldwide as part of an integrated pest management approach. Biological control is a promising alternative tactic that can be used to manage D. suzukii populations, especially in unmanaged areas. This study aimed at exploring the diversity of resident hymenopteran parasitoids of drosophilids in northwestern Patagonia, where D. suzukii is considered an important pest. The survey also aimed to investigate possible associations between parasitoids and D. suzukii in several crops and non-crop fruits, and to determine D. suzukii fruits infestation levels. Fourteen sites with mainly berry crops were sampled biweekly using cider vinegar traps and collecting fresh fruits from a variety of crop and non-crop fruit plants. We identified five species of hymenopteran parasitoids, obtained from the baited traps, that have the potential to associate with D. suzukii: Leptopilina heterotoma Thomson, Ganaspis brasiliensis Ihering, Hexacola hexatoma Hartig (Figitidae), Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae Rondani (Pteromalidae), and Spalangia endius Walker (Spalangiidae). Leptopilina heterotoma is reported for the first time in Argentina. High numbers of D. suzukii adults were recovered from baited traps and field-collected fruits. However, no parasitoid emerged from D. suzukii pupae recovered from fruits, nor were any dead parasitoids recorded inside D. suzukii pupae. Overall infestation levels of D. suzukii on field-collected fruits did not differ significantly between species/varieties. The results are discussed with emphasis on the possible functionality and perspectives of using these species as biological control agents.

Parasitoid Wasps of Green Lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea in Cotton Fields in Hama Governorate, Syria: New Records and Some Biological Aspects

Nabhan, M., Z.Sh. Khamis and B. Hawis. 2023. Parasitoid Wasps of Green Lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea in Cotton Fields in Hama Governorate, Syria: New Records and Some Biological Aspects. Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 41(3): 306-313. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-41.3.306313 This study aimed to identify parasitoid species of Chrysoperla carnea stages, and to evaluate their effect on predator’s population in the field. Three hymenopteran parasitoid species of this predator were collected and identified. Telenomus acrobates Giard (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) was found to parasitize the eggs, and was previously recorded in northern Syria. Two other species parasitized the larva-pupa stage of the predator, and are recorded for the first time in Syria in this study. The first species is Baryscapus chrysopae (Crawford, 1915) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), which showed a parasitism rate of 23.08% and 28.75% of the total collected eggs in 2017 and 2018 seasons, respectively, and 2-14 parasitoids individuals (males and females) emerged from each pupa. The second species was Perilampus chrysopae (Crawford, 1914) (Hymenoptera, Perilampidae), which showed a parasitism rate of 5.13% and 23.81% of the total larvae collected in the two seasons, respectively, and one parasitoid individual (male or female) emerged from each pupa. Keywords: Chrysoperla carnea, Baryscapus chrysopae, Perilampus chrysopa, Telenomus acrobates, new record, Syria

New data on the early stages and behaviour of the endangered species Callophrys mystaphia (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) and its first larval parasitoid, Cotesia sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

The early stages of a lycaenid butterfly, Miller’s Green Hairstreak Callophrys mystaphia Miller, 1913, are photographed and presented for the first time. Callophrys mystaphia is known to be endangered and is regarded to be endemic to Turkey based on recent studies. The species is considered to be local and isolated, with the likelihood of being one of the rarest butterfly species in Turkey. The distribution of this species and its food plant, Rheum ribes L. (Polygonaceae), in Turkey are investigated and the possible range of this butterfly species is highlighted. New data on the early stages, phenology, vertical distribution, and behaviour of adult and larva of C. mystaphia are presented. The larva was found to have been attacked by a newly discovered hymenopteran parasitoid species of the genus Cotesia Cameron, 1981 (Braconidae); the cocoons and the adult parasitoid are illustrated.

A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF HYMENOPTERAN LARVAL AND PUPAL PARASITOIDS OF MOTHS (LEPIDOPTERA: HETEROCERA) FROM INDIA

The present paper, based on the study of published literatures, provides an updated checklist of 54 species of pupal and 197 species of larval hymenopteran parasitoids associated with the larva and pupa of moths from India. Though the literatures pertaining to the above research work are available in various published journals and books, a compiled list is not so far published from India. The present paper also included the systematic status of both host (moth) and its natural enemies (hymenopteran parasitoids), which would be helpful for biological control workers in future.

A high-throughput amplicon sequencing approach for population-wide species diversity and composition survey.

Management of agricultural pests requires an understanding of pest species diversity, their interactions with beneficial insects and spatial-temporal patterns of pest abundance. Invasive and agriculturally important insect pests can build up very high populations, especially in cropping landscapes. Traditionally, sampling effort for species identification involves small sample sizes and is labour intensive. Here, we describe a multiprimer high throughput sequencing (HTS) metabarcoding method and associated analytical workflow for a rapid, intensive, high-volume survey of pest species compositions. We demonstrate our method using the taxonomically challenging Bemisia pest cryptic species complex as examples. The whiteflies Bemisia including the"tabaci" species are agriculturally important capable of vectoring diverse plant viruses that cause diseases and crop losses. Our multiprimer metabarcoding HTS amplicon approach simultaneously process high volumes of whitefly individuals, with efficiency to detect rare (i.e., 1%) test-species, while our improved whitefly primers for metabarcoding also detected beneficial hymenopteran parasitoid species from whitefly nymphs. Field-testing our redesigned Bemisia metabarcoding primer sets across the Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi cassava cultivation landscapes, we identified the sub-Saharan Africa 1 Bemisia putative species as the dominant pest species, with other cryptic Bemisia species being detected at various abundances. We also provide evidence that Bemisia species compositions can be affected by host crops and sampling techniques that target either nymphs or adults. Our multiprimer HTS metabarcoding method incorporated two overlapping amplicons of 472bp and 518bp that spanned the entire 657bp 3' barcoding region for Bemisia, and is particularly suitable to molecular diagnostic surveys of this highly cryptic insect pest species complex that also typically exhibited high population densities in heavy crop infestation episodes. Our approach can be adopted to understand species biodiversity across landscapes, with broad implications for improving transboundary biosecurity preparedness, thus contributing to molecular ecological knowledge and the development of control strategies for high-density, cryptic, pest-species complexes.

Overview and Checklist of Parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Braconidae and Figitidae) of Anastrepha Fruit Flies (Diptera, Tephritidae) in the Brazilian Amazon

Fruit-bearing plants in the Brazilian Amazon are mainly attacked by species of Anastrepha, of which about half are endemic to the region. However, tritrophic relations (fly/plant/parasitoid) have only been established for some 25% of the species of Anastrepha in the region. At present, 11 species of hymenopterous parasitoids (Braconidae and Figitidae) have been recorded in the Brazilian Amazon. Parasitoids in general, especially those of the family Braconidae, stand out as the most effective natural enemies of fruit flies of the genus Anastrepha. Doryctobracon areolatus is the most abundant parasitoid and it is associated with the largest number of Anastrepha species in the region. Some fruiting species, for example Bellucia grossularioides (L.) Triana and Geissospermum argenteum Woodson, have been studied aiming at biological control of fruit flies, because they act as reservoirs or multipliers of fruit fly parasitoids. Although research has advanced significantly in the past 20 years, there is a shortage of studies in nearly all states in the region, due to the huge area of the Brazilian Amazon.

The Hymenopteran parasitoid complex associated with Coniesta ignefusalis (Hampson) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on Pearl millet in Mali

Moths of Coniesta ignefusalis (Hampson) were collected by automatic light traps on millet field near Bamako in 2018. The light trap data shows three periods of moth flight. The greatest number of moths has been collected in the beginning of September. At the same time, to study the species composition of parasitic hymenopteran, 800 damaged segments of the millet stem were collected, of which a host and its parasitoids were reared in the laboratory for 1.5 month. Eleven species of hymenopteran parasitoids were reared: Tetrastichus atriclavus Waterston, Pediobius furvus Gahan (Eulophidae), Psilochalcis soudenensis (Steffan) (Chalcididae), Eurytoma braconidis (Ferriere) (Eurytomidae), Exoristobia dipterae (Risbec) (Encyrtidae), Pachyneuron sp. (Pteromalidae), Syzeuctus ruberrimus Benoit and S. senegalensis Benoit (Icheumonidae); Stenobracon (Euvipio) unifasciatus (Brulle) and Cheloninae species (Braconidae) and Aphanogmus reticulatus (Fouts) (Ceraphronidae). Three of these species: T. atriclavus (63.3%), S. senegalensis (18.8%) and A. reticulatus (8.0%) make up 90.1% of all specimens reared. Tetrastichus atriclavus is likely the most important hymenopterans regulator of C. ignefusalis. Asynchronous appearance of moths and parasitoids has been found, and is discussed.

SEASONAL ABUNDANCE AND RELATIVE DENSITIES OF COCCINELLID SPECIES AND THEIR INSECT PARASITOIDS ON WHEAT PLANTS AT PILBES DISTRICT, SHARKIA GOVERNORATE, EGYPT

Survey and relative densities of coccinellid species and their parasitoids on wheat plants infesting with aphids at Pilbes district, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt was studied during 2015/16-2016/17 seasons. Summarized results show the following: Seven predaceous species belonging to family Coccinellidae viz., Coccinella undecimpunctata L., Coccinella septempunctata L., Coccinella 9-punctata L., Scymnus syriacus Mars, Scymnus interruptus (Goeze), Cydonia vicina isis Cr. and Cydonia vicina nilotica Muls were surveyed on wheat plants infesting with aphids. The general relative densities of the predators were 33.33, 20.29, 19.44, 12.35, 7.41, 4.01 and 2.47% of the total numbers of predators, respectively. C. undecimpunctata activity showed a distinct peak and two peaks of activity in the first and second seasons, respectively. The maximum total monthly counts of 83 and 77 predators were found during March, in the first and second seasons. Five species of hymenopterous parasitoids belong to three families were emerged from collected ladybeetles species, viz., Telenomus sp., Perilitus coccinellae (Schrank), Tetrastichus coccinellae Kurd., Tetrastichus principiae Domenichini and Tetrastichus sp. The egg parasitoid, Telenomus sp. came in the first rank, represented by 59.8%, followed by the larval parasitoid P. coccinellae 14.6%. The correlations between the total number of coccinellid predators and aphids were positive and highly significant in both seasons.

Diversity of parasitoids associated with fruit flies on cultivated and wild plants in southern Togo

Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are major constraints on the production and marketing of fruits in African tropical and subtropical countries. In a perspective to manage these fly pests, an inventory of parasitoids associated with fruit flies was carried out from 2009 to 2011 in southern Togo through various fruit incubations. Nine species of native hymenopteran parasitoids associated with eight fly species belonging to five genera Bactrocera, Ceratitis, Dacus, Trirhithrum and Zeugodacus were recovered. Trichopria sp. (Diapriidae) was the most abundant parasitoid. However, the numbers of Braconidae (Diachasmimorpha fullawayi Silvestri, Fopius caudatus Szepligeti and Asobara sp.), Figitidae (Aganaspis sp.), Pteromalidae (Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae Rondani and Spalangia sp.), Eulophidae (Tetrastichus giffardianus Silvestri) and Chalcididae (Dirhinus giffardii Silvestri) species were relatively low. The rate of parasitism of different species of recovered parasitoids ranged from 0.6 to 40%. This is an asset for future surveys in the center and northern regions and studies of interactions between fruit flies and their natural enemies in Togo.

Discovery of Parasitoids of Anoplophora glabripennis (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and Their Seasonal Abundance in China Using Sentinel Host Eggs and Larvae.

Asian longhorned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky), is a high-risk invasive forest pest worldwide. We surveyed Asian longhorned beetle parasitoid guilds and their seasonal abundance using field-deployed sentinel host logs infested with Asian longhorned beetle eggs or newly hatched (early-instar) larvae in three different sites of China (Beijing City, Shanghai City, and Jilin Province) from 2015 to 2018. Our survey detected 12 species of hymenopteran parasitoids (four Pteromalidae, three Braconidae, two Eupelmidae, one Eurytomidae, one Ichneumonidae, and one Bethylidae) attacking sentinel Asian longhorned beetle larvae or eggs deployed in these sites. Total parasitism by all the parasitoid species varied with different sites and across different years of the survey (averaging 7-16% in Beijing, 4-11% in Shanghai, and 0-0.2% in Jilin Province). In addition, the seasonal pattern of parasitism also differed among different sites, with parasitism peaking in July in the northern site (Beijing, 19%) and June in the southern site (Shanghai, 16%). Among all the parasitoid species recovered, Oxysychus sp. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) was the most abundant parasitoid species in both Beijing and Shanghai (with 42-66% relative abundance and an average of 6% Asian longhorned beetle parasitism). The second most abundant species was Bracon planitibiae Yang, Cao et Gould (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), which accounted for 35% of the species collected and caused an average of 5% Asian longhorned beetle parasitism. Relevance of our findings to Asian longhorned beetle biocontrol is discussed.

A new species of Glyptapanteles Ashmead (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) within Macrobrochis gigas (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae, Lithosiidae) in Fujian, China.

The south-east coastal area of Fujian, China, belongs to the Oriental Realm, and is characterized by a high insect species richness. In this work, a new species of Hymenopteran parasitoid, Glyptapanteles gigas Liang & Song, sp. nov. found in Jinjiang within hosts of caterpillars Macrobrochis gigas (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), is described and illustrated, with differences from similar species. Additionally, we presumed that both parasitoid and host species play very important role in the coevolution and tritrophic interaction between plants, phytophagous insects, and their parasitoids, because these insects probably broke the sporangia and made contributions to their colonization, or some spores were spread for long distances by adult moths after their emergence, or some parasitoids were attracted by the eggs and larvae of these caterpillars, which was also thought to be helpful to spread of spores.

Tipe penggunaan lahan memengaruhi keanekaragaman dan komposisi hymenopteran parasitoid di Jambi

Hymenoptera merupakan salah satu dari empat ordo serangga terbesar di dunia yang salah satu perannya adalah sebagai musuh alami (parasitoid, predator). Konversi lahan dapat memengaruhi keanekaragaman dan komposisi hymenopteran parasitoid dan peran ekologisnya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memelajari pengaruh tipe penggunaan lahan terhadap keanekaragaman dan komposisi dari hymenopteran parasitoid di Jambi. Penelitian diakukan pada berbagai tipe penggunaan lahan di lanskap Hutan Harapan dan Taman Nasional Bukit Duabelas (TNBD), Provinsi Jambi meliputi hutan, hutan karet, perkebunan kelapa sawit, dan perkebunan karet. Pengambilan sampel serangga dilakukan dari bulan Maret sampai September 2013, dengan teknik pengasapan (fogging). Sebanyak 14.258 individu hymenopteran parasitoid yang terdiri atas 30 famili diperoleh dari seluruh lokasi penelitian. Famili Encyrtidae, Bracondae, Aphelinidae, Eulophidae, Scelionidae, Ceraphronidae, dan Platigasteridae merupakan famili yang ditemukan dengan kelimpahan tinggi. Tipe penggunaan lahan kelapa sawit ditemukan memiliki komposisi parasitoid berbeda dibandingkan dengan tipe penggunaan lahan lainnya, sedangkan tipe penggunaan lahan hutan dan hutan karet memiliki komposisi spesies yang tinggi. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa tipe penggunaan lahan mempengaruhi keanekaragaman dan komposisi spesies hymenopteran parasitoid.

Pontia glauconome Klug, 1829 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae, Pierinae) in south-eastern Turkey: confirmation of breeding populations, with notes on the biology of early stages and on a species of the larval parasitoid Hyposoter Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae, Campopleginae)

We report on the apparently successful overwintering in Batman and Siirt Provinces, Turkey of Pontia glauconome, a pierid recorded in south-eastern Turkey for the first time in autumn 2016. Details of recent field observations of P. glauconome are provided and we discuss and illustrate early stages found on Reseda aucheri, a possible new host-plant. The route by which P. glauconomemay have entered the country along the Tigris River from Syria is proposed. Larvae were found to have been attacked by a hymenopteran parasitoid species of the genus Hyposoter; the 'mummified' larval skin and the adult parasitoid are illustrated.

Biodiversity and population fluctuations of parasitoids of the white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), in kiwifruit orchards in Northern Iran

Summary The white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona Targioni-Tozzetti (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), is one of the most important and destructive polyphagous pests of the Rosaceae family trees. Population fluctuations and biodiversity of the hymenopteran parasitoid species associated with the pest were studied in six kiwi orchards in Iran, during one-year period. Parasitoid species abundance, species diversity indices and evenness indices were calculated. Most of the parasitoid species were dominant or eudominant. Based on the alpha diversity indices, the Najarkola region had high diversity and the Kharatkola region had low diversity. The Paeendasteh region (based on Simpson’s Diversity on Camargo evenness indices) and the Samnakola region (based on the modified Nee, and on Smith and Wilson evenness indices) were less uniform. Among the recorded parasitoids, Encarsia berlesei Howard (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), followed by Aphytis proclia Walker (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), had the highest population in all orchards.

Impact of Biocide, Insecticides, Compost and Mineral Fertilizers Treatments on the Abundance of Parasitoid and Predator Insects in Rice Fields

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of rice straw compost, recommended mineral fertilizers, Organic Insecticides and chemical Insecticides on the abundance pattern of natural enemies in rice ecosystems. To maximize rice productivity, rice growers tend to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides particularly to control different pest species, regardless of damage levels. Accordingly, rice fauna of natural enemies is severely impaired, leading to unbalanced rice ecosystems. The current investigation was carried out at the experimental farm of Rice Research and Training Center (RRTC), Sakha, Kafr El-Sheikh during 2016 and 2017 rice seasons. Using both D–Vac machine and pit–fall traps, parasitoids and predator insects were surveyed. Twelve hymenopterous parasitoid species were surveyed. Most of the parasitoid species were found belonging to Mymaridae, Trichogrammatidae and Braconidae. Twenty insect predator species, related to 13 families and seven orders, were identified, most of which are belonging to Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. Also this study aimed to surveying natural enemies (parasitoids and predator insects) and the effect of compost as an organic fertilizer on population densities of such beneficial insects. Although the application of insecticides successfully controlled insect pests, these chemicals have almost eradicated (more than 90 % reduction) the natural enemies. Biocide applications, especially Achook (Neem) and Tracer, achieved a considerable insect pest control, with population reductions of 33.30-57.32 and 10-46.01%, respectively. Unfortunately, the evaluated biocides induced mortalities to the considered natural enemies, but with too much less levels than did the insecticides. The current results indicate that the biocides could be applied to control rice insects in case of moderate insect infestations, with taking into consideration that they are not completely safe to the beneficial insects.

Cereal Aphid Species (Homoptera : Aphididae) Infesting Wheat Plants and their Aphidophagous Insects at El-Khattara District, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt

Studies on cereal aphids infesting wheat plants and their aphidophagous insects were carried out in newly reclaimed sandy area at El-Khattara district, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt during 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 growing seasons.The obtained results are summarized as follows:Four aphid species, i.e., Shizaphis graminum (Rondani), Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch), Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus) and Macrosiphum avenae (Fabricius) were found infested wheat plants.Cereal aphids infested wheat plants from the first week of January till the last week of April. The highest populations of aphids were recorded in the first week of March and in the second week of April with counts of 711 and 1503 individuals/ sample in the first and second seasons, respectively.Six predaceous insect species belonging to four orders and five families were surveyed associated with aphid species infesting wheat plants. Coleopterous species were the most dominant, followed by the neuropterous ones, with general relative densities of 41.70 and 21.10 % of the total recorded predators, successively. Among all recorded predaceous species, Chrysoperla carnea (Stephens) , Coccinella undecimpunctat L., and Coccinella septempunctata L., were the most dominant species, comprised 21.10, 15.68 and 15.26 % of the total count of the predators, respectively. The total recorded predators showed that means of 1:61.62 and 1:118.73 predators: prey ratios in the first and second seasons, respectively.Five species of hymenopterous parasitoids were emerged from mummified individuals of cereal aphids, namely, Diaeretiella rapae (M’Intosh), Aphidius colemani Viereck, Aphidius matricariae Haliday, Ephedrus sp. and Praon sp. The most dominant parasitoids were D. rapae and A. colemani with general relative densities of 35.32 and 27.12% respectively. The fluctuations of the total percentages of parasitism indicated three peaks in the first season and two ones in the second season. The mean percentage of parasitism during the first season was relatively high (6.41%) in comparison with that in the second one (3.60%).The correlation between cereal aphids populations and percentages of parasitism in both seasons were positive high significant

Population dynamics of soybean stem fly Melanagromyza sojae (Diptera: Agromyzidae) and its parasitoids in Maharashtra State of India

Abstract The cryptic nature and lack of consistent biological control of the stem fly, Melanagromyza sojae Zehntner, an emerging pest of soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, necessitated the monitoring and assessment of the impact of the parasitoid complex on seasonal regulation of the pest population. In this paper, we measure and relate, using the host density as a predictor variable, the seasonal density dependence of M. sojae parasitoids and the level of parasitism in soybean fields. The results revealed density dependence of parasitioids. The populations built up concomitant with the host insect, reached their peak during the mid-season, and declined towards the end of the crop season. A complex of 10 species of hymenopteran parasitoids comprising six species from Pteromalidae and one species each from the families Eurytomitidae, Eucoilidae, Braconidae and Eulopidae had a significant impact on M. sojae populations with a peak parasitism of ~50%. The seasonality and relative abundance of parasitoids were explored. Eurytoma sp. (Eurytomitidae) and Gronotoma sp. (Eucoilidae) were the most prevalent parasitoids throughout the season, whereas the pteromalid Sphegigaster sp. was dominant during the mid-season. The modulation of management practices aimed at conservation of these bioagents could improve the biological control of M. sojae populations. We discuss the practicality of several management options aimed at achieving this goal.

Spatiotemporal distribution and impact of diamondback moth parasitoids in the Dakar Niayes in Senegal

Conservation biological control, which fosters the optimal use of indigenous natural enemies, is a promising way for reducing pesticide reliance in horticultural systems. The objective of this study is to determine the distribution of parasitoid species, their parasitism rates on pest populations in relation to environmental conditions in the main Senegalese market garden area (Niayes). To do this, one hundred and sixteen cabbage plots, distributed in the Niaye segmented into three areas, along a South-North transect, are chosen. These plots were observed during four crop seasons from October 2012 to May 2014. Pest larvae were counted every three weeks using 24 randomly chosen cabbage plants per plot. Four hymenopteran parasitoid species were identified; Oomyzus sololowskii (Kurdjumov), (Eulophidae), Brachymeria sp. (Chalcididae), Apanteles litae Nixon and Cotesia vestalis (Haliday) both Braconidae. The percentage of parasitism varied between the plots, the geographical locations and the sampling period. O. sokolowskii and A. litae species were predominant and were affected by the growing season. The species distribution in the three sampling areas revealed that O. Sokolowskii was more efficient during the cold dry season, whereas A. litae was more efficient during the hot dry season. These results aim at identifying conditions favorable to the regulation of populations of cabbage moth by natural enemies. Parasitoids can play a promising role as biological control agents in Senegal. In order to do this, studies such as these must be carried out and the results communicated to farmers who often misunderstand the primordial role that natural enemies can play in pest control. Keywords : Cabbage, parasitism percentage, dry season, West Africa, Plutella xylostella .

A geographical study on Pseudaulacaspis pentagona and its parasitoids in Hungarian highway margins using pheromone traps and molecular markers

A study has been conducted to monitor geographical spread of the white peach scale Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni Tozzetti) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) (WPS) and its parasitoid populations in 32 stops of the Hungarian highways (M0. M1, M3, M5 and M7) using pheromone traps during 2009 and 2010. In addition to the data collected in the current study, previous data were used to investigate the population trend of this pest from 2007 to 2010. The number of males recorded in traps placed on highways was much lower than in the sites close to urban areas (M0). Our data support results of previous studies which suggest the spreading of white peach scale by vehicles (“transport vector”). The significant decrease in the WPS male catches from 2007 to 2010 might indicate the lowering of the population levels of this pest in the area of the study. Eight hymenopterous parasitoid species were captured in pheromone traps. Coccophagus sp. was the predominate species in pheromone traps of WPS in M7, how-ever they may be associated with another coccid species. The identity of scale males and some parasitoids was proved by molecular markers.