Trissolcus comperei (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) a newly discovered egg parasitoid of Halyomorpha halys
Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae – formerly EPPO Alert List) is a highly polyphagous pest that can attack more than 100 plant species of economic importance. Research into the classical biological control of the pest has identified a number of potential biocontrol agents, in particular egg parasitoids, such as Trissolcus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). A new parasitoid has been reported from China (Guizhou Province) parasitising H. halys eggs, and has been identified as Trissolcus comperei. Laboratory experiments show that that T. comperei eggs hatch within 24 hours at 25°C, and at the same temperature, larva, prepupa and pupa developed in 1–3, 4–6 and 7–11 d, respectively. Trissolcus comperei can parasitise H. halys eggs up to four days old with an emergence rate of approximately 90 % irrespective of the age of the egg. Interestingly, the study showed that the maximum percentage of female progeny of T. comperei from parasitised eggs was 93 %. The high proportion of female offspring may promote a fast population increase, potentially increasing its effectiveness as biological control agent for H. halys.
Sources
Shang CJ, Talamas EJ, Wang X, Chen YM, Zang LS (2024) Trissolcus comperei, a newly-reported egg parasitoid of Halyomorpha halys from China. Biological Control 196, 105583