Abstract
The parasitoid complex of the mealybug
Oracella acuta (Lobdell) was examined in two field populations in Georgia in 1995-96.
Allotropa n. sp. and
Zarhopalus debarri Sun were the primary endoparasitoids emerging from
0. acuta. Adult abundance varied seasonally, with
Allotropa n. sp. numbers peaking in June and
Z. debarri in September. Parasitism rates of female
0. acuta exceeded 60% at one site and ranged from 24 to 29% at the other site. The adult female was the preferred host stage for parasitism (76%), though
Allotropa n. sp. and the endoparasitoid
Acerophagus coccois E. Smith occasionally utilized second and third instar females as hosts. These two species exhibited gregarious parasitism, with up to 5
Allotropa n. sp. or 4
A. coccois emerging from a single host. Adult longevity of female and male
Z. debarri averaged 6.4 and 5.3 days, respectively, and access to a food source usually increased adult lifespan. Female
Z. debarri contained an average of 119 eggs, compared to 74 eggs per female for
Allotropa n. sp.
Keywords
Oracella acuta,
parasitoids,
biological control,
gregarious parasitism
Citation
Sun, Jiang-Hua; Clarke, Stephen R.; Debarr, Gary L.; Berisford, C. Wayne. 2004. Parasitoid complex of the mealybug
Oracella acuta (Lobdell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), in Georgia, USA. Journal Entomol. Science 39(1): 11-22