Journal of Biological Control

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Parasitoid, Aenasius arizonensis (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): its Biology, Morphometrics, Host Stage Preference and use in Biological Control


Affiliations
1 College of Agriculture, Maharaj Bag, Amravati Road, Nagpur-440 001, India
2 Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), P. B. No. 2, Shankar Nagar P. O., Nagpur- 440 010, India
 

Aenasius arizonensis (Girault) ( = Aenasius bambawalei Hayat) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a solitary endoparasitoid of Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, is a major invasive pest in several cotton growing countries around the globe. It has been recorded as an effective natural enemy of P. solenopsis. The biological characteristics of parasitoid were studied on P. solenopsis under laboratory conditions. The mean duration of development of A. arizonensis from oviposition to mummy formation was 5.9 ± 0.31 days for both male and female, while from mummy formation to adult emergence was 5.9 ± 0.31 and 7.3 ± 0.3 for male and female, respectively. The mean developmental period of male and female was 12.2 ± 0.33 and 14.2 ± 0.37 days, respectively. Males were short lived (16.3 ± 1.41 days) as compared to females (26.2 ± 1.72 days). Female started ovipositing on the day of emergence. The mean pre-oviposion, oviposition and post-oviposition periods were <1, 23.1 ± 1.66 and 3.1 ± 0.55 days, respectively. Mean daily and total fecundity in terms of number of parasitized host per female was 4.24 ± 0.2 and 100.5 ± 11.57, respectively. Sex ratio was skewed towards female and recorded as 1:2. Maximum percentage of parasitization occurred in adult host stage i.e. 90% followed by 3rd, 2nd, and 1st instar nymph with 73.33%, 33.33% and 0 per cent, respectively. Among the three nymphal stages 3rd instar nymph was the most suitable stage for mass multiplication of parasitoid. Its successful utilization in mealybug management can be optimized by multiplying at this stage of host in the laboratory and thereafter inoculative release into the field. This report provides a detailed diagnostic description of A. arizonensis with illustration to facilitate easy identification & morphological differences between male & female along with the morphometric measurements of pupa & mummy.

Keywords

Aenasius arizonensis, Biology, Morphometrics, Host Stage Preference, Biological Control
User
Notifications

  • Abdin ZHF, Khan MA, Abbas SK, Manzoor A, Shaina H. 2013. Reproductive fitness of mealybug parasitoid, Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). World Appl Sci J. 26(9): 1198–1203.

  • Abdin Z, Arif MJ, Gogi MD, Arshad M, Hussain F, Abbas SK, Shaina H, Manzoor A. 2012. Biological characteristics and host stage preference of mealybug parasitoid Aenasius bambawalei Hayat, (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). Pak Entomol, 34(1): 47–50.

  • Ahmed MZ, Ma J, Qiu BL, He RR, Wu MT, Liang F, Zhao JP, Lin L, Hu XN, Lv LH, Breinholt JW, Lu YY. 2015. Genetic record for a recent invasion of Phenacoccus solenopsis (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Asia. Environ Entomol. 44(3): 907–918. DOI: 10.1093/ee/ nvv034. Epub 2015 Mar 29.

  • Arif MI, Wazir S, Rafiq M, Ghaffar A, Mahmood R 2011. Incidence of Aenasius bambawalei Hayat on mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley and its hyperparasite, Promuscidea unfasciativentris Girault at Multan. Paper presented in 5th ICAC International Cotton Advisory Committee held at Lahore, Pakistan on February 23-25, 2011. http://www.icac.org/tis/ regional_networks/ asian_network/ meeting_5/ documents/ papers / PapArifMI-et_al.pdf

  • Ashfaq M, Shah GS, Noor AR, Ansari SP, Mansoor S. 2010. Report of a parasitic wasp (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) parasitizing cotton mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Pakistan and use of PCR for estimating parasitism levels. Biocontrol Sci. Technol. 20, 625–630.

  • Bodlah I, Ahmad M, Faraq M, Naeem M. 2010. Record of Aenasisus bambawalei Hayat, a parasitoid of Phenacoccus solenopsis (Sternorrhynca: Pseudococcidae) from Panjab, Pakistan. Pakistan J Zool. 42(5): 533–536.

  • CABI. 2015. Invasive species compendium datasheets, maps, images, abstracts and full text on invasive species of the world. Available from http://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/109097. (Accessed on 9th February 2015).

  • Charnov EL, Hartogh RL Los-den, Jones WT, Van den Assem J. 1981. Sex ratio evolution in a variable environment. Nature 289: 27–33.

  • Chen HY, Cao RX, Xu ZF. 2010. First record of Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a parasitoid of the mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) from China. J Environ Entomol. 32: 280–282.

  • Chong JH, Oetting RD. 2006. Host stage selection of the mealybug parasitoid Anagyrus spec. nov.near sinope. Entomol Exp Appl. 121: 39–50.

  • Fallahzadeh M, Japoshvili G, Abdimaleki R, Saghaei N. 2014. New records of Tetracneminae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Encyrtidae) from Iran. Turk J Zool. 38. DOI: 10.3906/zoo-1309-28

  • Godfray HCJ. 1994. Parasitoids: Behavioral and evolutionary ecology. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

  • Harvey JA, Lem VET, Jiang N, Gols R. 1998. Nutritional ecology of the interaction between larvae of the gregarious ectoparasitoid, Muscidifurax raptorellus (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and their pupal host, Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae). Physiol Entomol. 23: 113–120.

  • Hayat M. 2009. Description of a new species of Aenasius Walker (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), parasitoid of mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Biosystematica 3: 21–25.

  • He XZ, Wang Q, Teulon DAJ. 2005. The effect of parasitism by Aphidius ervi on development and reproduction of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. New Zealand Pl. Protect., 58: 202–207.

  • Ignacimuthu S. 2002. Biological control of insect pests. J Sci Ind Res. 61: 543–546.

  • Ignacimuthu S, Jayaraj S. 2003. Ecofriendly approaches for sustainable insect pest management. Curr Sci. 84: 1292–1293.

  • Islam KS, Copland MJW. 1997. Host Preference and progeny sex ratio in a solitary Koinobiont mealybug endoparasitoid, Anagyrus pseudococci (Girault), in response to its host stage. Biocontrol Sci Tech. 7: 449–456.

  • Lampson LJ, Morse JG, Luck RF. 1996. Host selection, sex allocation and host feeding by Metaphycus helvolus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) on Saissetia oleae (Homoptera: Coccidae) and its effect on parasitoid size, sex and quality. Environ Entomol. 25: 283–294.

  • Liu SS. 1985. Development, adult size and fecundity of Aphidius sonchi reared in two instars of its aphid host, Hyperomyzus lactucae. Entomol Exp Appl. 37: 41–48.

  • Mahmood R. 2008. Breakthrough in biological control of mealybug in Pakistan. Biocontrol News Information 29, 38–39.

  • Mills NJ, Kuhlmanm U. 2000. The relationship between egg load and fecundity among Trichogramma parasitoids. Ecol Entomol. 25: 315–324.

  • Milonas PG. 2005. Influence of initial egg density and host size on the development of the gregarious parasitoid Bracon hebetor on three different host species. Biocontrol 50: 415–428.

  • Nagrare VS, Kranthi S, Kumar R, Dharajothi B, Amutha M, Deshmukh AJ, Bisane KD, Kranthi, KR. 2011. Compendium of cotton mealybugs. Technical Bulletin, Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur. 42 pp.

  • Napoleon ME, King BH. 1999. Offspring sex ratio response to host size in the parasitoid wasp Spalangia endius. Behavioral Ecol Sociobiol. 46: 325–332.

  • Poorani J, Rajeshwari SK, Gupta A. 2009. Notes on diagnosis and biology of Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a parasitoid of the invasive mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). J Biol Control 23: 463–466.

  • Ram P, Saini RK, Vijaya. 2009. Preliminary studies on field parasitisation and biology of solenopsis mealybug parasitoid Aenasius bambawalei Hayat, (Encyrtidae:Hymenoptera). J Cotton Res Dev. 23: 313–315.

  • Prasad YG, Prabhakar M, Sreedevi G, Thirupathi M. 2011. Spatio-temporal dynamics of the parasitoid, Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) on mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley in cotton based cropping systems and associated weed flora. J Biol Control 25(3): 198–202.

  • Sangle PM, Korat DM, Patel BH. 2013. A note on morphometry and post larval life stages of Aenasius bambawalei Hayat. Karnataka J Agric Sci. 26: 151– 154.

  • Sequeira R, Mackauer M. 1993. The nutritional ecology of a parasitoid wasp, Ephedrus californicus Baker (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae). Canadian Entomol. 125: 423–430.

  • Solangi GS, Mahmood R. 2011. Biology, host specificity and population trends of Aenasius bambawalei Hayat and its role controlling mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley a Tandojam Sindh. CABI South Asia, Tando Jam Pakistan.

  • Spargo G, Khan M, Byers K. 2013. A parasitoid of solenopsis mealybug found at Emerald. Australian Cottongrower. 34: 22–23.

  • Strand MR, Casas J. 2008. Parasitoid and host nutritional physiology in behavioral ecology, In Behavioral ecology of insect parasitoids: From theoretical approaches to field applications. Wiley Online. DOI: 10.1002/9780470696200.ch6

  • Vennila S, Prasad YG, Prabhakar M, Kumar Rishi, Nagrare V, Amutha M, Dharajyothi B, Agarwal M, Sreedevi G, Venkateswarlu B, Kranthi KR, Bambawale OM. 2011. Spatio-temporal distribution of host plants of cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley in India, Technical Bulletin No. 26, National Centre for Integrated Pest Management, New Delhi P 50.

  • Vijaya RP, Saini RK. 2011. Biology of Aenasius bambawlei Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae). J Insect Sci. 24: 99–101.

  • Visser ME. 1994. The importance of being large: The relationship between size and fitness in females of the parasitoid Aphaereta minuta (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). J Animal Ecol. 63: 963–978.

  • Wang Y, Watson GW, Zhang R. 2010. The potential distribution of an invasive mealybug vPhenacoccus solenopsis and its threat to cotton in Asia. Agric for Entomol. 12: 403–416.

  • Zaviezo T, Mills N. 2000. Factors influencing the evolution of clutch size in a gregarious insect parasitoid. J Animal Ecol. 69: 1047–1057.


Abstract Views: 361

PDF Views: 131




  • Parasitoid, Aenasius arizonensis (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): its Biology, Morphometrics, Host Stage Preference and use in Biological Control

Abstract Views: 361  |  PDF Views: 131

Authors

T. M. Aga
College of Agriculture, Maharaj Bag, Amravati Road, Nagpur-440 001, India
V. J. Tambe
College of Agriculture, Maharaj Bag, Amravati Road, Nagpur-440 001, India
V. S. Nagrare
Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), P. B. No. 2, Shankar Nagar P. O., Nagpur- 440 010, India
Bhausaheb Naikwadi
Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), P. B. No. 2, Shankar Nagar P. O., Nagpur- 440 010, India

Abstract


Aenasius arizonensis (Girault) ( = Aenasius bambawalei Hayat) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a solitary endoparasitoid of Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, is a major invasive pest in several cotton growing countries around the globe. It has been recorded as an effective natural enemy of P. solenopsis. The biological characteristics of parasitoid were studied on P. solenopsis under laboratory conditions. The mean duration of development of A. arizonensis from oviposition to mummy formation was 5.9 ± 0.31 days for both male and female, while from mummy formation to adult emergence was 5.9 ± 0.31 and 7.3 ± 0.3 for male and female, respectively. The mean developmental period of male and female was 12.2 ± 0.33 and 14.2 ± 0.37 days, respectively. Males were short lived (16.3 ± 1.41 days) as compared to females (26.2 ± 1.72 days). Female started ovipositing on the day of emergence. The mean pre-oviposion, oviposition and post-oviposition periods were <1, 23.1 ± 1.66 and 3.1 ± 0.55 days, respectively. Mean daily and total fecundity in terms of number of parasitized host per female was 4.24 ± 0.2 and 100.5 ± 11.57, respectively. Sex ratio was skewed towards female and recorded as 1:2. Maximum percentage of parasitization occurred in adult host stage i.e. 90% followed by 3rd, 2nd, and 1st instar nymph with 73.33%, 33.33% and 0 per cent, respectively. Among the three nymphal stages 3rd instar nymph was the most suitable stage for mass multiplication of parasitoid. Its successful utilization in mealybug management can be optimized by multiplying at this stage of host in the laboratory and thereafter inoculative release into the field. This report provides a detailed diagnostic description of A. arizonensis with illustration to facilitate easy identification & morphological differences between male & female along with the morphometric measurements of pupa & mummy.

Keywords


Aenasius arizonensis, Biology, Morphometrics, Host Stage Preference, Biological Control

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18641/jbc%2F30%2F2%2F95751