Natural Parasitoids of Fruit Piercing Moth, Eudocima spp.

Fruit piercing moths, Eudocima sp. (Noctuidae) are common pests of ripening fruit in tropical and subtropical Southeast Asia, Australia, and the western Pacific islands. Surveys were conducted in Maharashtra revealed that three abundant larval parasitoids viz., a tachinid fly, Gonipthalmus hali, eulophid wasps, Euplectrus maternus and Tetrastichus sp. were contributing up to 36.65, 41.46 and 36.58 % larval mortality, respectively. The host specificity of parasitoids was studied in the laboratory by exposing them to larvae of Eudocima sp. However, Goniopthalmus hali showed parasitization on other species of Eudocima, whereas E. maternus is found to be host specific on E. materna species. In laboratory investigation, 72 to 89% parasitization of Trichogramma chilonis on the eggs of E. materna was also recorded.