Environmental Entomology (1984) 13, 150-156

Walter P. Gould and R.L. Jeanne (1984)
Polistes wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) as control agents for lepidopterous cabbage pests
Environmental Entomology 13 (1), 150-156
Abstract: We obtained a significant gain of weight and quality of cabbage in plots exposed to foraging Polistes wasps compared with cabbage in control plots. This reflects the significant reduction in numbers of large Pieris rapae larvae due to wasp predation. In 1980 the reduction in larvae did not show a corresponding reduction in damage and loss of yield. One average nest of wasps (5.6 wasps) was sufficient to reduce Pieris populations by up to five larvae (44%) on each of ca. 20 cabbage plants during the season. A major reason levels of control achieved by Polistes in this study were not higher was the availability of alternate prey.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
application technology
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Pieris rapae	Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)	U.S.A. (mid N)
Polistes fuscatus (predator)	Pieris rapae		U.S.A. (mid N)