Reproductive characteristics of invasive hyperparasitoid Baeoanusia albifunicle have implications for the biological control of eucalypt pest Paropsis charybdis

Type of content
Journal Article
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
University of Canterbury. School of Forestry
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
2015
Authors
Murray, T.J.
Mansfield, S.
Abstract

Hyperparasitoids can impede the establishment of primary parasitoid biological control agents or limit their control capacity. Although modern quarantine practices generally prevent hyperparasitoids being introduced with biological control agents, introductions can occur via natural pathways or accidentally with incoming passengers and cargo. In New Zealand, Baeoanusia albifunicle Girault is a self-introduced hyperparasitoid of Enoggera nassaui Girault, an intentionally introduced control agent of the eucalypt pest Paropsis charybdis Stål. A self-introduced primary parasitoid, Neopolycystus insectifurax (Girault), also parasitises P. charybdis in New Zealand. We assessed B. albifunicle biology to better understand its potential to disrupt P. charybdis control. It was determined that B. albifunicle is an obligate solitary hyperparasitoid with a longer lifespan, lower fecundity and longer generation time than its host. The hyperparasitoid reduced effective parasitism by E. nassaui to <10% in the lab, indicating it may limit control of the first P. charybdis generation by slowing spring population growth. It was confirmed that N. insectifurax is not hyperparasitised by B. albifunicle and therefore has some potential to substitute for any hyperparasitoid-driven decline in E. nassaui.

Description
Citation
Murray, T.J., Mansfield, S. (2015) Reproductive characteristics of invasive hyperparasitoid Baeoanusia albifunicle have implications for the biological control of eucalypt pest Paropsis charybdis. Biological Control, 91, pp. 82-87.
Keywords
Hyperparasitoid interactions, Encyrtidae, Pteromalidae, Enoggera, Neopolycystus, New Zealand
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Fields of Research::30 - Agricultural, veterinary and food sciences::3007 - Forestry sciences::300704 - Forest health and pathology
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