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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Lauderdale, Florida » Invasive Plant Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #239112
Title: Parasitoid complex of the bird cherry ermine moth, Yponomeuta evonymellus, in Korea

Author
item LEE, JANG
item Pemberton, Robert

Submitted to: Entomological Research (Korea)
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/3/2009
Publication Date: 3/31/2009
Citation: Lee, J.H., Pemberton, R.W. 2009. Parasitoid complex of the bird cherry ermine moth, Yponomeuta evonymellus, in Korea, Vol. 39, Issue 3, p. 201-206. . Entomological Research (Korea).

Interpretive Summary: The bird cherry ermine moth is a widely distributed Eurasian pest of the bird cherry tree (Prunus padus). Parasitoids of the moth were sought in the Republic of Korean (South Korea) with the goal of identifying potential biological controls of the pest. Thirteen primary and two hyperparasitoids were found. Two ichneumonid wasps, Diadegma armillatum and Herpestomus brunnicornis, and a tachinid fly, Zenillia dolosa, were the most important parasitoids, causing 3.5 and 7.1% of the larvae, and 7.7% of the pupae, respectively. The parasitoid complex had a combined total parasitism of 29.6 % of larvae and pupae. This rate of parasitism is lower than the 50% recorded in Europe, but about the same (31%) as recorded from the congeneric apple ermine moth, Yponomeuta malinellus in the Republic of Korea. The low level parasitism is attributed, in part, to the low incidence (1% parasitism) induced by Ageniaspis fuscicollis. Diadegma armillatum and Herpestomus brunnicornis and Ageniaspis fuscicollis are also native to Europe. Zenillia dolosa is restricted to Asia, but has a broad host range so would be unsuitable for introduction elsewhere. Although the mortality caused the detected parasitoids is not high, they probably contribute to the regulation of the bird cherry ermine moth in South Korea.

Technical Abstract: The parasitoid complex of Yponomeuta evonymellus L. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae), the bird cherry ermine moth, was sought in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) with the goal of identifying potential biological controls of the moth. 13 primary and two secondary parasitoids were found. Diadegma armillatum (Grav.), Herpestomus brunnicornis Grav. (Icheumonidae), and Zenillia dolosa (Meigen) (Tachinidae) were the most important parasitoids causing 3.5, 7.1, and 7.7% for the combined parasitism of the host larvae and pupae, respectively. The composition of parasitoid species was more diverse in larvae than in pupae; 10 species were reared from larvae, compared to six from pupae. The parasitoid complex contributed to relatively low levels of mortality of Y. evonymellus with the combined total parasitism rate of 29.6% for the host larvae and pupae. This level is below that that has been found in some European populations (50%) and is not greater than the larval parasitism rate (31%) found in the congeneric apple ermine moth in Korea. This low parasitism rate is attributed, in part to the low parasitism by Ageniaspis fuscicollis (1 %) detected in Y. evonymellus, which is similar to that detected in Y. evonymellus in Europe. This is the first report of the parasitoid complex attacking bird cherry ermine moth in Korea.