PHORETIC EGG PARASITOID, TELENOMUS-EUPROCTIDIS (HYMENOPTERA, SCELIONIDAE), USES SEX-PHEROMONE OF TUSSOCK MOTH EUPROCTIS-TAIWANA (LEPIDOPTERA, LYMANTRIIDAE) AS A KAIROMONE

The phoretic egg parasitoid, Telenomus euproctidis Wilcox (Hymenoptera : Scelionidae) was found more frequently on virgin than on mated femal e moths of Euproctis taiwana (Shiraki) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), wh en virgin and mated moths were exposed concurrently in the field for 2 4 hr. A synthetic component of the moth's sex pheromone, (2)-16-methyl -9-heptadecenyl isobutyrate, attracted both the wasp, T. euproctidis, and male E. taiwana. These findings suggest that T. euproctidis uses t he sex pheromone of the female moth, E. taiwana, as a kairomone to loc ate a host female moth and through her the host eggs.