Biological Control of Insect Pests: Southeast Asian Prospects - EcoPort

64 Biological Control of Insect Pests: Southeast Asian Prospects
FRANCE
INDIA
Vietnam and one from Malaysia. In so far as one can argue from such scanty
data, the principal parasitoids of A. gossypii in the Far East (Trioxys
communis, Lysiphlebia japonica and the particular species involved of
Aphelinus) do not occur in India (Takada 1992). According to Takada, the
principal species attacking A. gossypii in India is Trioxys indicus, which is
recorded from Taiwan, but apparently not from Japan. Another species
attacking A. gossypii in India is Lipolexis scutellaris, which also occurs in
Vietnam, Malaysia and Hong Kong, but is not recorded elsewhere in the Far
East (Takada 1992). Two widely distributed and effective parasitoids that
attack A. gossypii in other parts of the world (Aphidius colemani and
Lysiphlebus testaceipes) do not yet seem to be present in Southeast Asia,
although A. colemani is recorded from the field in Pakistan (Starù 1975).
Takada (1992) comments on the habitat specialisations in Japan of
parasitoids of A. gossypii, which occurs in both open and lightly wooded
habitats: Trioxys communis, and Aphelinus species prefer the open habitat,
whereas Lysiphlebia japonica, Ephedrus nacheri, E. persicae and
E. plagiator prefer the lightly-wooded habitat. Thus, the parasitoid complex
on A. gossypii on cucumber, egg plant or taro is quite different from that on
Hibiscus or Rhamnus in a garden.
Starù et al. (1973) reviewed the parasitoids of aphids in France. A South
American strain of Aphidius colemani, which is adapted to warm subtropical
conditions and is highly polyphagous, was introduced from southern Brazil
and released against Toxoptera aurantii in France near Antibes in 1982. It is
reported to be established (Rabasse 1986; Tardieux and Rabasse 1986). In
1973Ð74 Lysiphlebus testaceipes was introduced into France and released
near Antibes and in Corsica. It was recovered soon after, and later in Italy. It
was also sent to eastern Spain where it established and spread to become the
predominant parasitoid in the regions where it occurs. It attacks A. gossypii
on citrus and a number of other aphids on other host plants (Starù et al.
1988a).
Including the widespread Trioxys indicus, 14 parasitoids were recorded from
A. gossypii (a preferred host) and 8 from A. craccivora (Agarwala 1983).
Ephedrus persicae is reported to be confined in India to A. craccivora and 3
parasitoids, Praon absinthii, Trioxys basicurvus and T. rubicola confined to
the A. gossypii complex (Agarwala et al. 1981).
The impact of the widespread parasitoid Trioxys indicus on
A. craccivora feeding on pigeon pea was studied in the laboratory and the
field. The parasitoid had a high searching ability and exhibited a density
dependent relationship with its host. A single female oviposited in 100 to
150 aphids in 3 to 5 days after emergence and the life cycle occupied 15 to 20