First Record of Aenasius arizonensis (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) as A solitary, Endoparasitoid of Cotton Mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) Infesting Different Host Plants at Giza Region in Egypt

Authors

1 Plant Protection Research Institute, ARC, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

2 Biological Control Lab., Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.

3 Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London

Abstract

The primary parasitoid; Aenasius arizonensis (Girault)(= Aenasius bambawalei Hayat)is a solitary, endoparasitoid of Phenacoccus solenopsis emerged from its adult stage. It was recorded for the first timeon the two host plants Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) and Hibiscus rosa – sinensis (Malvaceae) with respective means of 9.8 and 5.1 individuals / branch during June 2016 at Giza region. After one month, (July), A. arizonensis was reported on five host plants; Solanum nigrum (Solanaceae), L. camara (Verbenaceae), Bidens bipimata (Compositae), Withania somnifera (Solanaceae) and H. rosa-sinensis (Malvaceae). Its mean numbers on the five surveyed host plants ranged from 9.0 to 13.6 individuals / branch. The number of A. arizonensis females varied with different host plants. The highest percents (65.45% & 63.33%) were reported on the two host plants; B. bipimata and H. rosa- sinensis, while the least percent of females (42.39%) associated with the host plant W. somnifera during July. The corresponding figures were 47.79% & 47.46% on the two host plants; S. nigrum and L. camara. Most of A. arizonensis females (85%) emerged from mummies of mealybug gravid females while most of A. arizonensis males (87.5%) were emerged from mummies of mealybug adult females Three hyperparasitoids; Chartocerus subaeneus (Forster) (Signiphoridae), Prochiloneurus aegyptiacus (Mercet) (Encyrtidae) and Pachyneuron sp. were recorded associated with this primary parasitoid. The common hyperparasitois, C. subaeneus reduced the population of A. arizonensis, with a percent of 18 %. Its mean number ranged from 8.9 to 21.7 individuals / branch; the highest count was located on L. camara and the lowest on H. rosa-sinensis.

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