Region:
Categorized: Biological control
Tagged: classical biological control parasitoid
Studying parasitoids from America for the biocontrol of FAW in Africa and Asia
CABI is presently assessing the suitability of two parasitoids from the Americas for introduction into Africa and/or Asia. Studies are presently being conducted in the CABI quarantine facility in Switzerland but, when international movements will be eased, the parasitoids will be transferred to various quarantine facilities in Africa and Asia. The two species are:
-Eiphosoma laphygmae (Ichneumonidae), larval parasitoid, which seems to show a high specificity to FAW.
-Chelonus insularis (Braconidae), egg-larval parasitoid, which is the most important and widespread parasitoid of FAW in the Americas. This species is less specific, attacking and developing also in some other Noctuidae.
Information: Marc Kenis (m.kenis@cabi.org)
These 2 species will add a lot to the current range of biocontrol agents, such as the egg parasitoid, Telenomus remus. Is there any information on the parasitism levels by this egg parasitoid in Africa?
Parasitism by Telenomus remus seems to vary greatly in Africa. While some studies failed to find egg parasitoids, in Kenya and Tanzania, Sisay et al. (2019) mention 63% and 58% parasitism by T. remus, respectively. Agboyi et al (2019) measured 26% at one location in Ghana and 14% at another location in Benin. However, I suspect that parasitism rates in Kenya, Tanzania and Ghana were largely overestimated because egg masses parasitized by T. remus remain at least 4 times longer in the field than unparasitized egg masses. Furthermore, parasitized eggs are darker, and thus more visible during surveys. Data from… Read more »