Other Parasitoids
often found in crops and gardens

Locally occurring parasitoids can be highly significant in suppressing pest populations. Their activity - especially that of egg parasitoids - is likely to go on un-noticed, unless you have been shown what to look for.

Parasitoids of moth eggs and caterpillars:

• Trichogramma wasps are found in most crops where there are moth pests and where spraying is minimised.
• Telenomus sp are another group of egg parasitoids - larger than trichogramma they lay just one egg into a heliothis moth egg and are important early season parasitoids.
• Microplitis are larval parasitoids with one parasitoid emerging from one heliothis caterpillar.
• Cotesia are parasitoids of caterpillar larva and produce characteristic bundles of white or yellow cocoons.
• Orgilus lepidus is a major parasitoid of potato moth larva. For more info.
• Copidosoma is also a potato moth larva parasitoid.
• Diadegma is an important parasitoid on cabbage moth larva.
• Tachanid fly species are many and their maggots have numerous hosts - from bugs to caterpillars.

Aphid parasitoids

There are many species of aphid parasitoids other than Aphidius colemani which are very active in crops. They all operate in a similar way to A. colemani so go to that entry for details.

Scale parasitoids

Aphytis species are mass reared for red scale in citrus and Metaphycus for soft scales but there are many other species active in crops.

Mealybug parasitoids

Leptomastix dactylopii has proved to be a very effective parasitoid for citrus mealybug and is commonly found in orchards. It used to be mass reared but an unidentified pathogen in mass culture has caused production to cease.

The Good Bug Book entry provides a detailed description.

Tachanid flys

Parasitoids of a wide range of insects including the horticultural pests, Heliothis caterpillars and Trichopoda giacomellii a parasitoid of Green Vegetable Bugs

Trissolcus basalis

This green vegetable bug egg parasitoid was introduced from Egypt in the 1940's. Has been important in suppressing the green vegetable bug population in field crops especially soy beans.

Trissolcus wasps - egg parasitoid of various bug pests

Trichogramma nr brassicae examining Heliothis egg

Cotesia adult just emerged from cocoons.

Cotesia adults just emerged from cocoons developed in a cabbage white butterfly larva

Comperiella sp a red scale parasitoid in citrus

Leptomastix is an important parasitispoid of citrus mealybug