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Parasitoids of Paratachardina lobata (Hem., Kerriidae): surveys for biological control of the invasive lobate lac scale

Paratachardina lobata is an invasive pest in southern Florida, threatening a great number of economically important and native plants. The lobate lac scale does not cause problems in its area of origin, India and Sri Lanka, presumably due to various parasitoid wasps. In an attempt to discover promising parasitoids for biological control against the invasive pest in Florida, P. lobata infesting Pongamia pinnata (Fabaceae) was collected bimonthly from August 2005 to June 2006 at 14 sites in southern India. Four parasitoids were demonstrably associated with P. lobata: a eulophid Aprostocetus bangaloricus Narendran, an encyrtid Ooencyrtus kerriae Hayat and two aphelinids, Marietta leopardina Motschulsky and an undescribed Coccophagus Westwood sp. These chalcidoid wasps were found regularly at all heavily infested sites with an average emergence number per collection period of 62.8, 31.7, 11.9 and 90.5 respectively. The mean number emerged 20–28 days after the collection date, excluding the Coccophagus sp., which occurred significantly later, on average 41 days after collection. Species emergence was examined and parasitized scales dissected. Parasitoid remains were interpreted to understand the mode of parasitism. The Coccophagus sp. was found to be a secondary parasitoid. Marietta leopardina occurred as a primary parasitoid, but only in low number and this species is also known to be hyperparasitic on chalcidoid wasps. Aprostocetus bangaloricus and O. kerriae are promising candidates for the lobate lac scale control in Florida. They are primary parasitoids of P. lobata and occurred at almost every collection site, especially where P. lobata was very abundant.