Natural Parasitism in Teak Defoliator, Hyblaea puera Cramer (Lepidoptera:Hyblaeidae) in Intensively Managed Plantation

Parasitism in teak defoliator, Hyblaea puera Cramer (Lepidoptera: Hyblaeidae) was studied in an intensively managed teak plantation at Veeravanallur, South Tamil Nadu. Among the recorded parasitoids namely, Sympiesis sp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), Sarcophaga sp. (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) and Palexorista solennis Walker (Diptera: Tachinidae), the latter was most predominant. Parasitism by P. solennis ranged from 8.0 per cent in October when defoliator was in the first generation to a peak of 54.54 per cent in December, suppressing the defoliator larval population in the fourth generation.