Parasitoid complex of citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrellaon lemon in the Central Jordan Valley

• Published in: BioControl (Dordrecht, Netherlands) Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 33 - 43
• Main Author: Ateyyat, Mazen A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Nature B.V 01.02.2002
• Subjects: Fruits; Larvae; Orchards; Parasitoids; Relative humidity
• ISSN: 1386-6141; 1573-8248
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1014489419621

From March 1997 to June 1999, samples of lemonleaves infested with citrus leafminer (CLM),Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton(Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), were collectedfrom the Al-Masalha Citrus Orchard in theCentral Jordan Valley in order to rear CLMparasitoids and to study their populationtrends. Nine species of eulophid parasitoidswere reared from CLM larvae; these were Cirrospilus ingenuus Gahan, C. pictusNees, Pnigalio agraules, Pnigalio sp. B,Pnigalio sp. C, Citrostichusphyllocnistoides Narayanan, Ratzeburgiolaincompleata Boucek, Semielacherpetiolatus Girault, and Zagrammosoma sp.Cirrospilus ingenuus was the most commonparasitoid of CLM from March 1997 to June 1999and could be a good potential biologicalcontrol agent after rearing and releasing it incitrus orchards in the Jordan Valley. Onehyperparasitoid species was reared fromimmatures of parasitoids of CLM larvae, andidentified as Tyndrichus sp. An increasein the activity of parasitoids was observed inautumn 1999 when the temperature was between 15–20 °C and the relative humidity was between 55–65%.