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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Newark, Delaware » Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #374709

Research Project: Classical Biological Control of Insect Pests of Crops, Emphasizing Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Spotted Wing Drosophila and Tarnished Plant Bug

Location: Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit

Title: Life History and Rearing of Anastatus orientalis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), an Egg Parasitoid of the Spotted Lanternfly (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae)

Author
item BROADLEY, HANNAH - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item GOULD, JULI - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item WANG, XIAO-YI - Chinese Academy Of Forestry
item Hoelmer, Kim
item HICKIN, MAURI - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item SULLIVAN, LIAM - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item ELKINTON, JOSEPH - University Of Massachusetts, Amherst

Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/10/2020
Publication Date: 11/28/2020
Citation: Broadley, H.J., Gould, J.S., Wang, X., Hoelmer, K.A., Hickin, M., Sullivan, L., Elkinton, J.S. 2020. Life history and rearing of Anastatus orientalis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), an egg parasitoid of the spotted lanternfly (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae). Environmental Entomology. 50(1), 2021, 28–35. https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa124.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvaa124

Interpretive Summary: To support efforts to manage and contain spreading populations of the invasive Asian spotted lanternfly, a serious pest of grapes and other crops, research is being conducted to develop classical biocontrol methods for the invader. One promising potential natural enemy is a native Asian parasitoid, Anastatus orientalis, that attacks lanternfly eggs. With cooperators, we investigated aspects of the biology and rearing of A. orientalis needed to facilitate a biocontrol program. Our findings allowed a rearing protocol for A. orientalis to be established that will also enable our evaluation of this species as a potential biological control agent for lanternfly.

Technical Abstract: To support efforts to manage and contain spotted lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula, research is being conducted to develop classical biocontrol methods for SLF. To date, two potential biocontrol agents from China have been identified: an egg parasitoid, Anastatus orientalis, and a nymphal parasitoid, Dryinus sinicus. The research detailed here focuses on investigating the biology (e.g. longevity, fecundity, and sex ratio) and rearing of A. orientalis to assess its potential efficacy in a biocontrol program and optimize its rearing. Female wasps lived significantly longer than the male wasps (68 d and 23 d, respectively) and on average, females produced 94 total progeny that successfully emerged as adults, with most progeny produced between weeks one and four of the females’ lives. The sex ratio of the progeny, with no re-mating, was initially highly female-biased but became progressively more male-biased, likely due to sperm depletion. There was no evidence of additional mortality to SLF eggs from wasp host feeding, but the data was highly variable and the sample size was small. There was high parasitoid emergence when oviposition conditions mimicked mid-September Beijing temperature and photoperiod, however, there was little emergence under 25°C and long-day conditions because most progeny entered diapause instead. Storage of parasitized eggs in 5°C chill lowered parasitoid emergence rates. Lastly, there was no evidence that storing field-collected SLF egg masses in 5°C for 10 months prior to parasitization affected parasitism rates. These findings inform our rearing protocol for A. orientalis and facilitate our testing of this species as a potential biological control agent for SLF.