ISHS Acta Horticulturae 422: International Conference on Integrated Fruit Production
STUDIES ON TWO ICHNEUMONID PARASITOIDS AS POTENTIAL BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS OF THE EUROPEAN APPLE SAWFLY HOPLOCAMPA TESTUDINEA KLUG (HYMENOPTERA: TENTHREDINIDAE) |
| Author: | D. Babendreier |
| Abstract:
In 1939 the apple sawfly was accidentally introduced into the eastern parts of the USA, and during the 1980s has spread over most apple growing areas of Quebec in Canada. A biological control project was started recently at the International Institute of Biological Control in Delémont (Switzerland). A field survey was carried out in Switzerland, Germany, South Tirol and the Netherlands. Thereafter, work was concentrated on the larval parasitoid Lathrolestes ensator and the cocoon parasitoid Aptesis nigrocincta, the latter has been found for the first time on the apple sawfly. L. ensator is the dominant species in a comparatively small parasitoid complex and well synchronisized with its only host, the apple sawfly. The brachypteran females of A. nigrocincta parasitize the cocoons below ground and is able to produce two generations per year. Here I present some data on biology, host-finding mechanisms and handling time of these two parasitoids. It is important to collect behavioural data from the life histories to attain a better understanding of their impact and success as biological control agents. | |
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