BioControl (2001) 46, 61-70
D.G. Hall, J. Peña, R. Franqui, R. Nguyen, P. Stansly, C. McCoy, S.L. Lapointe, R.C. Adair and B. Bullock (2001)
Status of biological control by egg parasitoids of Diaprepes abbreviatus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in citrus in Florida and Puerto Rico
BioControl 46 (1), 61-70
Abstract: Eggs of Diaprepes abbreviatus (L.) were routinely monitored in citrus groves at ten locations in Florida during 1997 and 1998 to study egg parasitism. One citrus location was studied in Puerto Rico. No native parasitoids were recovered from 1,337 D. abbreviatus egg masses studied in Florida citrus. In contrast, an average of 35.5% (range 12.5 to 68.8%) parasitism of egg masses was reported in Puerto Rico. The parasitoids Aprostocetus gala, Horismenus spp, and Quadrastichus haitiensis were recovered from the eggs of D. abbreviatusfstudied in Puerto Rico. The Horismenus parasitoids were suspected hyperparasitoids. Releases of the parasitoid Ceratogramma etiennei from Guadeloupe were initiated during 1998 at each of the Florida research sites. By the end of 1998, C. etiennei had been recovered from D. abbreviatus eggs at two of nine locations in Florida citrus. The parasitoid was recovered from 1 of 34 egg masses at one of these locations during the month of September and from 3 of 34 egg masses at the other location during the month of November. Whether or not C. etiennei establishes itself at one or more locations in Florida remains to be seen.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Philip A. Stansly, David G. Hall, Stephen L. Lapointe
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
population dynamics/epizootiology
