Population dynamics and parasitism of the kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria by egg parasitoids, Paratelenomus saccharalis and Ooencyrtus nezarae in southeastern USA

Authors: DIEDRICK, WORREL - Florida A & M University; KANGA, LAMBERT - Florida A & M University; HASEEB, MUHAMMAD - Florida A & M University; SRIVASTAVA, MRITTUNJAI - Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services; Legaspi, Jesusa

Submitted to: Agriculture Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/14/2022
Publication Date: 12/21/2022
Citation: Diedrick, W., Kanga, L.H., Haseeb, M., Srivastava, M., Legaspi, J.C. 2022. Population dynamics and parasitism of the kudzu bug, Megacopta cribraria, by egg parasitoids, Paratelenomus saccharalis in southeastern USA. Agriculture Journal. 13(1):13. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13010013.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13010013

Interpretive Summary: The kudzu bug is an economic threat to farmers in many southeastern soybean and legume-producing states with crop yields of 47% in untreated fields. Biological control of this pest is a promising control measure which is environmentally-friendly with the potential to reduce pesticide use in agricultural crops. Researchers at Florida A&M University in collaboration with scientists at the USDA/ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Tallahassee, FL, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services investigated the potential for use of biological control to minimize kudzu bug populations. Field studies were conducted to examine kudzu bug population dynamics and associated parasitoids in north Florida and south Georgia. The most common parasitoids collected were a generalist egg parasitoid, Ooencyrtus nezarae, and Paratelenomus saccharalis, a known specialist parasitoid of the kudzu bug. In an agricultural site, kudzu bug egg counts peaked in May and then decreased in August with similar trends in other sites. Counts of the egg parasitoid, Ooencyrtus nezarae were higher in July than in August. Overall parasitism ranged from 15.2% to 16.9% in agricultural, forested and urban areas. Both parasitoids have potential as biological control agents, each with a different role as a specialist or generalist, and as such can serve as valuable tools in an integrated pest management approach for control of the kudzu bug in the southeastern states.

Technical Abstract: Megacopta cribraria (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Plataspidae), commonly called the kudzu bug, is a pest of concern for farmers in many soybean and legume-producing states. It was first detected in the United States of America in 2009. In the southeastern United States, M. cribraria reduced crop yields by 47 % in untreated fields and yield loss was estimated at about 18%. Biological control of this pest is a promising control measure which is environmentally-friendly, and may reduce pesticide spraying in agricultural crops as well as forested and urban areas. We evaluated the population dynamics of the kudzu bug and its parasites in north Florida and south Georgia. In addition, parasitism rates of the recently discovered egg parasitoid in north Florida, Ooencyrtus nezarae, was compared to P. saccharalis, a known specialist parasite of the kudzu bug. In an agricultural site in 2017, we found that M. cribraria egg counts peaked in May and then decreased in August. A similar trend was observed for all other studied sites where M. cribraria was present. Insect counts of O. nezarae was higher in July than in August. There was an increase in parasitism from 15.2% in 2016 to 16.9% in 2017 from the agricultural, forested and urban areas surveyed in north Florida and south Georgia. While O. nezarae parasitizing kudzu bug represents one more possible biological control agent, it is a generalist predator and more research is needed to evaluate its importance in controlling the kudzu bug in the southeastern USA.