Parasitism byPerilitus coccinellae [Hym.: Braconidae] of indigenous coccinellid hosts and the introducedCoccinella septempunctata [Col.: Coccinellidae], with notes on winter mortality

Parasitism ofCoccinella septempunctata L. byPerilitus coccinellae (Schrank) varies seasonally with an 11% overall rate among beetles overwintering in the Hackensack Meadowlands, which is less than that reported in Europe.P. coccinellae may parasitizeC. 7-punctata twice yearly. FemaleC. 7-punctata were parasitized more heavily than males. Although parasitism byP. coccinellae varied significantly among host species, it was not significantly different among 3 habitats. High host density favored greater parasitism in 3 coccinellid species. Rearing for parasite cocoons, consistently showed lower parasitism rates than did dissection for parasitized larvae. Overwintering survival of cagedC. 7-punctata near Stillwater, OK, varied between years averaging 53,5%. Infection of overwinteringC. 7-punctata byBeauveria bassiana (Balsamo) was 1,6% in 1978–1979.