Author(s): CASTILHOS, R. V.; NAVA, D. E.; FERNANDES, D. R.; BRUGNARA, E. C.; SCHEUNEMANN, T.

Summary: The olive caterpillar Palpita forficifera (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is the main pest of olive orchards in Brazil and Uruguay. The damage of this pest is characterized by young leaves and branches consump?on by larvae, which reduces leaf area and limits the growth of branches responsible by flowering in the next season. Most of growers usually prevent high infesta?ons of P. forficifera with insec?cide sprays (Cas?lhos; Brugnara, 2019). However, some Hymenopteran wasps can exert parasi?sm on the olive caterpillar, and must not be neglected since they can contribute to integrated pest management in olive orchards (Scheunemann, 2022). Here we report the parasi?sm of Darwin wasps species (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) on P. forficifera larvae collected in olive orchards from the municipality of Chapecó, Santa Catarina and Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, in the South Region of Brazil. Infested shoots were sampled and taken to laboratory for inspec?on and collec?on of larvae. Collected larvae were individualized in glass tubes and feed with olive leaves in controlled condi?ons (25 ± 2oC temperature, 60 ± 10% rela?ve humidity and 14 hours photophase). The emerged parasitoids were kept in glass vials containing alcohol 70% and were further sent to a specialist taxonomist for iden?fica?on. Insects were iden?fied based on morphological characters on mesossoma, head, antennomers and wings areolete, using the taxonomic key of Gauld (2000). Three Darwin wasps species were iden?fied parasi?zing P. forficifera larvae. Eiphosoma sp. nov. and Temelucha sp. nov. are new species to the science and were found in Chapecó, SC, while Temelucha hilux Gauld, 2000 was found in Pelotas, RS. These species are recorded for the first ?me in South Brazil, and this is the first associa?on of Temelucha species with P. forficifera larvae. These findings are important to prospect natural biological control of the olive caterpillar in olive orchards

Publication year: 2024

Types of publication: Abstract in annals or event proceedings

Unit: Embrapa Temperate Agriculture

Keywords: biological control, parasitoides