Host Patch Use and Potential Competitive Interactions Between Two Egg Parasitoids From the Family Scelionidae, Candidate Biological Control Agents of Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Two egg parasitoids from Pakistan, Gryon sp. nr. gonikopalense Sharma (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and Trissolcus hyalinipennis Rajmohana & Narendran (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), are currently being investigated as potential classical biocontrol agents for Bagrada hilaris Burmeister. The former is...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of economic entomology 2021-04, Vol.114 (2), p.611-619
Main Authors: Hougardy, Evelyne, Hogg, Brian N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
BIOLOGICAL AND MICROBIAL CONTROL
Biological control
Competition
discrimination ability
Efficiency
egg parasitoid
Eggs
Females
Hymenoptera
Larvae
Mortality
Oviposition
oviposition behavior
Pests
Scelionidae
Species
Stink bugs
Superparasitism
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Summary:Two egg parasitoids from Pakistan, Gryon sp. nr. gonikopalense Sharma (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and Trissolcus hyalinipennis Rajmohana & Narendran (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), are currently being investigated as potential classical biocontrol agents for Bagrada hilaris Burmeister. The former is the most promising because of its ability to attack B. hilaris eggs in soil, but the latter was recently discovered in California. This study detailed the patch use and oviposition behavior of both species and assessed their relative foraging efficiency. We also investigated possible competitive interactions by assessing 1) the occurrence of intra- and interspecific host discrimination, 2) mutual interference between females (extrinsic competition), 3) the outcome of multiparasitism (intrinsic competition), and 4) the effect of competition on host suppression. Our results showed that T. hyalinipennis females tended to probe repeatedly in the same hosts leading to longer host patch time and lower foraging efficiency. Both species avoided conspecific superparasitism, but not multiparasitism. When the two species foraged simultaneously, G. sp. nr. gonikopalense seemed to be slightly superior in extrinsic competition, while neither species seemed to have an advantage in intrinsic competition. Also, neither species could develop as a facultative hyperparasitoid, but they inflicted non-reproductive mortality on eggs containing 4-d-old larvae of their competitor. Lastly, host mortality inflicted by G. sp. nr. gonikopalense and T. hyalinipennis when acting together appeared to be additive. These results suggest that the presence of T. hyalinipennis in California is unlikely to reduce G. sp. nr. gonikopalense efficiency, but will instead improve the biological control of B. hilaris.
ISSN:0022-0493
1938-291X
DOI:10.1093/jee/toab014