Potential impact of the native hyperparasitoid Conura albifrons (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) on the exotic biological control agent Diadromus pulchellus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

The solitary pupal parasitoid Diadromus pulchellus was released in 2010 as a classical biological control agent against leek moth, Acrolepiopsis assectella, an important new pest of onion crops, Allium spp. in Eastern North America. Post-release monitoring using sentinel leek moth pupae revealed that the facultative hyperparasitoid Conura albifrons was attacking leek moth and potentially D. pulchellus as well. We used laboratory choice and no-choice tests to assess the potential impact of C. albifrons on leek moth and D. pulchellus. C. albifrons is capable of developing in newly formed leek moth pupae and leek moth pupae containing first instar D. pulchellus, as well as in fully developed D. pulchellus pupae. Survivorship of both leek moth and D. pulchellus exposed to C. albifrons was significantly lower than that of unexposed controls. In choice trials, prior host experience significantly influenced host choice by C. albifrons. These results suggest that C. albifrons could impact the establishment of D. pulchellus through both competition and intraguild predation, and that the impact has the potential to change as the relative frequency of the two hosts shifts in field populations.