Native parasitoid wasps in the genus Anastatus (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) as a potential biological control agent for the invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)
Date
2024
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
This project sought to understand the role native Anastatus (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) can play in the management of the invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula, Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) through two objectives. First, spotted lanternfly egg masses were collected opportunistically and reared to obtain parasitoids for rearing and use in behavioral assays. A total of 591 egg masses were collected in 2023 with 52 Anastatus reduvii emerging from these egg masses. The emergence rates of parasitoids from parasitized singly collected egg masses ranged from 1.45% to 7.69%, with an average of 3.45%. Seven generations were reared on Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) eggs after the initial parasitoid emergences, totaling 2,241 parasitoids in colony. The second objective sought to assess the behavioral responses of reared Anastatus reduvii to spotted lanternfly and Poblicia fuliginosa (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) egg masses and egg mass coatings through behavior tracking and observational behavior coding. No significant differences were found for distance traveled, duration in the arena, angular velocity, or velocity between treatments. The only behavior to demonstrate a significant difference between egg mass exposures was circling, while all other coded behaviors did not demonstrate any significant differences.
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Keywords
Biological control, Invasive species, Halyomorpha halys, Parasitoids