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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #341864
Research Project: Improved Biologically-Based Tactics to Manage Invasive Insect Pests and Weeds

Location: Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research

Title: Assessment of the impact of the egg parasitoid, Paratelenoumus saccharalis (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) on populations of the kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria (Hemiptera: Plataspidae)

Author
item DIEDRICK, WORREL - Florida A & M University
item KANGA, LAMBERT - Florida A & M University
item HASEEB, MUHAMMAD - Florida A & M University
item Legaspi, Jesusa

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/27/2017
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The kudzu bug has become a pest of economic importance ever since its introduction to the Southeastern United States from Asia in 2009. It causes serious economic damage to legume crops (soybeans, bean, pigeon pea, mung bean, velvet bean etc.) and is a nuisance to home owners. At least one natural egg parasitoid of the kudzu bug in Asia has also become established in U.S. This research was designed to evaluate the prevalence, levels of parasitism, and host specificity of the egg parasitoid (Paratelenoumus saccharalis) on populations of the kudzu bug. The protocol of our collaborators in the Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, was followed to determine the prevalence level: a) five kudzu patches with populations of kudzu bugs were selected in urban, forest, or agricultural habitats; b) within each patch, five adjacent heavily-infested plants were selected and marked; and c) the number of kudzu bug adults, nymphs, and eggs on each plant were recorded biweekly and egg- masses were collected and cultured in the laboratory. To determine the level of parasitism, numbers of parasitized eggs were calculated as a percent of total eggs collected. Preliminary results showed a significantly higher percentage of kudzu bugs in urban areas compared to forested or agricultural areas. In field situations 60–80% of eggs were parasitized, and parasitism approached 100% in the laboratory. Our current data from the field experiments indicated that P. saccharalis did not parasitize the beneficial insects Podisus maculiventris, Orius insidiosus, or Geocoris punctipes.