Interactions betweenPleolophus basizonus andLophyroplectus luteator [Hym.: Ichneumonidae], two parasites ofNeodiprion sertifer [Hym.: Diprionidae]

Females ofPleolophus basizonus (Gray.) show a very strong avoidance of cocoonedNeodiprion sertifer (Geoff.) prepupae in which there are eggs, larvae or prepupae ofLophyroplectus luteator (Thunb.). When multiparasitism does occurP. basizonus is the successful competitor but adults are much smaller than those from hosts that were not multiparasitized.     

Stimulation of oviposition and successful rearing ofTelenomus heliothidis [Hym.: Scelionidae] on nonhosts by use of a host-recognition kairomone

Through use of a recognition kairomone, the parasitoidTelenomus heliothidis Ashmead is induced to oviposit and successfully develops in nonhost eggs.T. heliothidis successfully develops in the eggs ofSpodoptera frugiperda (Smith) andPhthorimaea operculella Zeller, but fails to develop in eggs ofAnthonomus grandis Boheman. Both sexes of the parasitoid are produced from the nonhosts, and development time is the same as in a natural host such asHeliothis virescens F. The use of recognition kairomones could be of great use in artificial rearing of nongeneralist parasitoids suchT. heliothidis.     

Indian species of the genusMirufens [Hym.: Trichogrammatidae]

An account is given of 4 new species ofMirufens Girault:M. brevifuniculata Khan & Shafee, M.albiscutellum Khan & Shafee,M. magniclavata Khan & Shafee andM. longiclavata Khan & Shafee. A key to Indian species of the genusMirufens is also provided.     

Trichogramma semblidis [Chalcidoidea: Trichogrammatidae] as a parasite of the bark beetle eggs [Coleoptera: Scolytidae]

It has been found thatTrichogramma semblidis (Aurv.) parasitizes the eggs ofleperisinus fraxini (Panz.),L. orni (Fuchs) andHylesinus crenatus (Fabr.) in typical variant ofCircaeo-Alnetum Oberdorfer 1953 in the Laski Experimental Forestry near Kepno. Thorough studies were conducted on exposed European ash logs and split wood in 3 methodical variants. The analysis of the galleries ofLeperisinus fraxini has showed that the average egg infestation amounted to 14.1%, 13.0% and 11.1% respectively. The egg infestation of individual gallery systems in the exposed control logs and split wood ranged between 2.7–51.2%, 1.2–44.1% and 1.7–69.2%, respectively, in different variants and the average effectiveness of the parasite amounted to 12.7% of the host egg mortality in 1970. Earlier observations and analyses of the gallery systems made on the ash trunks and branches in 1967 and 1968 showed 80.0% and 98.0% infestation of the eggs ofL. fraxini and 10.0% and 1.5% infestation of the eggs ofL. orni. Separate developmental stages of the parasite, the behaviour of the latter and penetration of the gallery systems were observed too. The most important data on the host species ofT. semblidis have been compared.     

Geographical distribution ofAphidiidae [Hym.] imported to California for biological control ofAcyrthosiphon kondoi andAcyrthosiphon pisum [Hom.: Aphididae]

A survey forAcyrthosiphon kondoi Shinji and its insect enemies was conducted in 1976–1977 in Afghanistan, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Iran, Israel and Maroc. The search was concentrated in areas having cultivated species ofMedicago. A. kondoi was found only in Afghanistan, and in Iran. It was not found inMedicago-growing areas west from Iran, but it has been reported from India and Japan. Aphidius ervi Haliday,Aphidius urticae group,Praon barbatum Mackauer andAphidius smithi Sharma & Rao, were reared fromA. kondoi constituting new parasite records. New parasite and locality records were also found forA. urticae group,A. smithi andP. barbatum onAcyrthosiphum pisum (Harris). In laboratory trials, all cultures of parasitesA. ervi andP. barbatum readily parasitized and reproduced onA. kondoi onLens esculenta Moench. Cultures ofA. urticae group andA. smithi oviposited on, but did not complete development of immatures in,A. kondoi onL. esculenta. Hyperparasites identified as species includedAsaphes suspensus (Nees),Asaphes vulgaris Walker,Aphidencyrtus aphidivorus (Mayr),Dendrocerus breadalbimensis (Kieffer),Dendrocerus carpenteri (Curtis), andPachyneuron aphidis (Bouche). Available data suggest the origin of distribution ofA. kondoi may be Central Asia, and that populations ofA. ervi may be most suitable for colonization programs againstA. kondoi.     

The relationships of the genusAustralomymar [Hymenoptera: Mymaridae]

The holotype female ofAustralomymar aurigerum Girault is redescribed and figured. Comparative data on the types of the five described species ofPolynemoidea Girault are given, and the affinities of both genera briefly discussed. They are maintained as distinct genera, probably related toSelenaeus Waterhouse and elements of the large genusPolynema Haliday,s. l.     

A review of haliday species ofMicroctonus [Hym.: Braconidae,Euphorinae]

A neotype based on aWesmael specimen is designated forMicroctonus aethiops (Nees).M. aethiops of authors is described asaethiopoides, new species. Lectotypes are designated forM. secalis (Haliday) andcerealium (Haliday). The namecerealium is suppressed as a synonym of the namesecalis and the types ofsecalis andbrevicollis (Haliday) are redescribed.     

Biological control of the beanfly,Ophiomyia phaseoli [Dipt.: Agromyzidae], byOpius spp. [Hym.: Braconidae] in the Hawaiian Islands

Attention is drawn to the transfer of the beanfliesMelanagromyza phaseoli (Tryon) andM. spencerella Greathead to the genusOphiomyia Braschnikov bySpencer (1973). The confusion over the nomenclature of theOpius spp. parasites is discussed and it is shown that the namesO. phaseoli Fischer andO. importatus Fischer should be used. Their introduction into Hawaii and establishment is briefly discussed in relation to their effectiveness as biological control agents. It is shown that they show a high degree of consistency of parasitism which has resulted in an acceptable degree of control ofOphiomyia phaseoli although there is no evidence that they act in a density dependent manner.     

The effects of various aphids as larval prey on the development ofMetasyrphus corollae [Dipt.: Syrphidae]

The suitability of thirteen aphid species for the polyphagous larvae ofMetasyrphus corollae (Fabr.) was investigated in laboratory tests. The length of larval and pupal development, weight of puparia, mortality during larval and pupal stages were compared. Cannibalism was not observed in the larvae reared in groups on suitable food.Aphis sambuci Linneaus was not a suitable prey for the larvae.Cavariella theobaldi (Gillette Bragg) collected fromPastinaca sativa L. was toxic to larvae ofM. corollae, although it was possible to rear the larvae onAphis fabae Scopoli orAnuraphis subterranea (Walker) from the same host plant.     

Notes on the biology ofBrachymeria [Neobrachymeria] nosatoi and its importance in the control ofNephantis serinopa

Nephantis serinopa Meyrick is now known to be parasitised by six species ofBrachymeria, viz.,B. nephantidis Gahan,B. lasus Walk.,B. excarinata Gahan,B. (Neobrachymeria) nosatoi Habu,B. euploeae Westw., andB. hime attevae Joseph Of these,B. (N.) nosatoi is the most effective pupal parasite ofN. serinopa in Kerala. Certain aspects of the biology of this parasite have been studied.     

Biology ofIphiaulax kimballi [Hym.: Braconidae], a parasite ofDiatraea grandiosella [Lep.: Pyralidae]

Iphiaulax kimballi Kirkland is a gregarious ectoparasite of the mature larval stage ofDiatraea grandiosella Dyar in Mexico. The developmental rate from egg to adult is 16.3±1.0 (x±S.D.) at 29°C. The sex ratio is 1.7∶1 (♀∶♂) in the field. Following host paralysis the female deposits 63.5±2.1 eggs during der 28.6±6.4 day adult-life span; laying 4.6±3.1 eggs on each host. Females held at 10°C lived a maximum of 3 months.     

Mass breeding of two species ofSaissetia [Hom.: Coccidae] for propagation of their parasitoids

Potato sprouts detached from soil are most suitable for mass rearingSaissetia oleae (Olivier),S. coffeae (Walker) and their parasitoids, since the duration of development of the coccids is short, and they can be grown easily with their natural enemies in closed containers under controlled conditions.S. oleae served for propagation ofMetaphycus affinisstanleyi Compere,M. helvolus (Compere),M. bartletti Annecke & Mynhardt,M. lounsburyi (Howard), whilstS. coffeae was better suited forScutellista cyanea Motschulsky. The ornamental plantAdhatoda vasica Nees, citron melon and squash fruits served for rearingS. coffeae, while oleander was used for breedingS. oleae and its parasitoids during the ebb of the culture on potato sprouts.     

Host discrimination byChelonus insularis [Hym.: Braconidae], telenomus heliothidis [Hym.: Scelionidae], andTrichogramma pretiosum [Hym.: Trichogrammatidae]

The ability of female parasitoids (Chelonus insularis Cresson,Telenomus heliothidis Ashmead, andTrichogramma pretiosum Riley) to distinguish between parasitized and unparasitized tobacco budworm,Heliothis virescens (F.), eggs was determined in laboratory studies. All 3 species were relatively efficient at detecting eggs that were previously parasitized by conspecific females.T. heliothidis andT. pretiosum were able to discriminate on the basis of external examination of host eggs, whereasC. insularis appeared to examine hosts internally as well as externally. In interspecific tests, no species readily rejected eggs parasitized by the other 2 species.     

Parasitization of 6 lepidopteran cotton pests byChelonus blackburni [Hym.: Braconidae]

When eggs of 6 species of lepidopteran cotton pests were offered toChelonus blackburni Cameron, all were parasitized except those of the saltmarsh caterpillar,Estigmene acrea (Drury). However, the parasite did not distinguish between parasitized and unparasitized eggs, so superparasitization was common. Of the 5 accepted species (pink bollworm,Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), cotton bollworm,Heliothis zea (Boddie), tobacco budworm,Heliothis virescens (F.), cabbage looper,Trichoplusia ni (Hübner), and beet armyworm,Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), pink bollworms and cotton bollworms were the most suitable hosts. When all 5 species were offered, the order of preference was as follows: pink bollworms = cabbage loopers > cotton bollworms > tobacco budworms > beet armyworms. In paired preference tests the parasite consistently preferred pink bollworms.     

Parasites ofSpodoptera exigua,S. eridania [Lep.: Noctuidae] andHerpetogramma bipunctalis [Lep.: Pyralidae] collected fromAmaranthus hybridus in field corn

Three species of lepidopterous larvae were collected fromAmaranthus hybridus L. growing in field corn during 1975 and 1976 at Hastings, Florida.Spodoptera exigua (Hubner) was the predominant species in May.Spodoptera eridania (Cramer) was predominant in June andHerpetogramma bipunctalis (F.) in July and August. Nine native species of parasites, representing theBraconidae, Eulophidae, Ichneumonidae andTachinidae, emerged from these larvae.Meteorus autographae Muesebeck emerged from bothS. exigua andS. eridania. TheTachinidae, Winthemia rufopicta (Bigot),Eucelatori rubentis (Coquillett) andLespensia sp., emerged from mixtures ofS. exigua andS. eridania. Apanteles marginiventris (Cresson),Temelucha sp., andChelonus texanus Cresson emerged from bothS. exigua andH. bipunctalis larvae, andEuplectrus platyhypenae Howard andOphion sp. emerged fromS. eridania. All the species of parasites from the lepidopterous larvae that feed onAmaranthus hybridus are also reported as parasites ofS. frugiperda, a serious pest of corn. Therefore these larvae onA. hybridus may be a source of the parasites found attackingS. frugiperda.     

Species of the generaPromuscidea Girault andProspaltella Ashmead [Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae] from India

The systematic position of the genusPromuscidea Girault is discussed. Two species ofPromuscidea (P. unfaciativentris Girault andP. longiclavata sp. n.) and one species ofProspaltella Ashmead (P. terebrator sp. n.) from India are described in detail.     

Parasitism ofPhthorimaea operculella [Lep.: Gelechiidae] larvae in Queensland

Parasitism ofPhthorimaea operculella (Zeller) larvae on potato foliage was examined intensively in the Lockyer Valley, south-eastern Queensland from 1975–78 and extensively from other hosts and areas of Queensland. The % parasitism in the Lockyer Valley exceeded 50% in 29 of the 36 collections. The parasite species were dominated by the introducedCopidosoma desantisi Annecke & Mynhardt (Encyrtidae) andOrgilus lepidus Muesebeck (Braconidae) which together accounted for 92.6% of parasite numbers recorded. In more northern areas of Queensland, the dominant parasite species found was the introducedApanteles subandinus Blanchard (Braconidae). Other hymenopterous parasites found wereMicrochelonus curvimaculatus Cameron (Braconidae), Elasmus funereus Riek (Elasmidae) andTemelucha minuta (Morley) (Ichneumonidae).