SIMILARITY OF THE HYPERPARASITOID COMMUNITIES ATTACKING 2 STRAINS OF A GYPSY-MOTH (LEPIDOPTERA, LYMANTRIIDAE) PRIMARY PARASITOID, COTESIA-MELANOSCELA (HYMENOPTERA, BRACONIDAE)

Cocoons of die U.S. strain and the Korean strain of the gypsy moth, Ly mantria dispar (L.), primary parasitoid, Cotesia melanoscela (Ratzebur g), were placed at 3 sites in Maryland to examine the hyperparasitoid community that use the cocoons. The Korean str ain produces a larger s ilk halo surrounding the cocoon that may provide protection against pa rasitism by individual species in the hyperparasitoid community which is not available to the U.S. strain. There were differences in species composition of the hyperparasitoid community among sites, but not bet ween strains at a single site. There was little or no difference in me asurements of the hyperparasitoid communities (species richness, perce ntage of niche use, species diversity and species evenness) attacking the U.S. and Korean strains. The extended halo associated with the Kor ean strain cocoons does not appear to offer any additional protection against parasitism by the hyperparasitoid community present at these s ites.