Skip to main content
ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #392273
Research Project: Managing Invasive Weeds and Insect Pests Using Biologically-Based Methods

Location: Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research

Title: Comparative assessment of the impact of the egg parasitoids Paratelenomus saccharalis and Ooencyrtus nezarae on kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria, populations in north Florida

Author
item MORAIN, ALMANDO - Florida A & M University
item KANGA, LAMBERT - Florida A & M University
item HIX, RAYMOND - Florida A & M University
item DIEDRICK, WORREL - Florida A & M University
item Legaspi, Jesusa
item ANANGA, ANTHONY - Florida A & M University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/7/2022
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Megacopta cribraria (Kudzu bug) is native to Asia and has invaded the United States through Georgia in 2009. The bug has then spread to 14 other states, including Florida. It has become a serious pest of legumes including soybean, the second most planted field crop in the US after corn. It is therefore of great concern to farmers, and a nuisance to homeowners. Two egg parasitoids of M. cribraria from Asia have become established in the US, however, the impact of these natural enemies on kudzu bug populations is unknown. This study was conducted to detect the presence of Paratelenomus saccharalis and Ooencyrtus nezarae and assess their parasitism rates on kudzu bugs in north Florida and South Georgia. Eggs of M. cribraria were collected biweekly from urban, forested, and agricultural areas in four counties in north Florida and south Georgia. They were kept in laboratory until emergence for the parasitism assessment. Our data indicated the presence of both parasitoids in urban and forested areas, but only O. nezarae was recorded in agricultural areas in 2019. In 2020, both parasitoids were found in urban, agricultural, and all four counties in the forested areas. There were significant differences between the rates of the two parasitoids between agricultural, urban, and forested areas in 2019 and 2020. The egg parasitoids showed seasonal co-occurrence in all three areas in both years. Significant positive correlations were determined between temperature and population density of egg parasitoids in urban areas in 2019 and all three areas in 2020.