Discovery of Paratelenomus saccharalis (Dodd) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), an Egg Parasitoid of the Bean Plataspid, Megacopta cribraria F. (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), in its Expanded North American Range

Authors: GARDNER, WAYNE - University Of Georgia; BLOUNT, JONI - Auburn University; GOLEC, JULIAN - Auburn University; COURET, JANELLE - Emory University; JONES, WALKER - Delta Farmers Advocating Resource Management (FARM); HU, XING PING - Auburn University; DONG, XIANGLI - Auburn University; Talamas, Elijah; RAY, JR, CHARLES - Auburn University; BUNTIN, G. - Emory University; GERARDO, NICOLE - Emory University

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/27/2013
Publication Date: 10/1/2013
Citation: Gardner, W.A., Blount, J.L., Golec, J.R., Couret, J.R., Jones, W.A., Hu, X., Dong, X., Talamas, E.J., Ray, Jr, C.H., Buntin, G.D., Gerardo, N.M. 2013. Discovery of Paratelenomus saccharalis (Dodd) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), an Egg Parasitoid of the Bean Plataspid, Megacopta cribraria F. (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), in its Expanded North American Range. Journal of Insect Science. 48(4):355-359.

Interpretive Summary: The kudzu bug is an Asian species of insect that feeds on kudzu and soybean, and it is now an invasive pest in the United States. A tiny parasitic wasp that develops in, and kills, the eggs of the kudzu bug was under study in quarantine facilities in Mississippi to assess its potential as a biological control agent. This same species of parasitic wasp was recently discovered “in the wild” and how it came to independently establish itself in the United States remains unknown. Extension entomologists, biological control researchers, and ecologists will use the data in this note for their own research into the kudzu bug.

Technical Abstract: n/a