Parasitoid wasps are vital for biological control, and while new species continue to be discovered, evaluating their biological characteristics is crucial for realizing their potential for pest management.
Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is a well-studied parasitoid of dipteran pests, while
Trichomalopsis ovigastra
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Parasitoid wasps are vital for biological control, and while new species continue to be discovered, evaluating their biological characteristics is crucial for realizing their potential for pest management.
Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is a well-studied parasitoid of dipteran pests, while
Trichomalopsis ovigastra Sureshan & Narendran (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) has been only morphologically described. To assess its biocontrol potential, we compared the biological traits of
T. ovigastra and
P. vindemiae using
Drosophila melanogaster Meigen (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and
Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) as hosts.
T. ovigastra showed significantly higher parasitism rates, especially against
B. dorsalis, where
T. ovigastra achieved nearly 50% parasitism, compared to less than 0.3% by
P. vindemiae. When using
D. melanogaster as the host, no significant differences were observed between
T. ovigastra and
P. vindemiae in offspring sex ratio or adult longevity; however,
T. ovigastra exhibited a shorter developmental duration and greater tolerance to temperature extremes, starvation, and desiccation. Notably,
B. dorsalis has expanded its range from southern to northern China; however, no native parasitoids of this pest have been reported in the newly invaded northern regions.
T. ovigastra, collected from northern orchards and capable of parasitizing
B. dorsalis, thus shows promise as a biocontrol agent. These findings highlight the potential of locally occurring parasitoids, although field validation is still required.
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