TOXICITY OF SOME PESTICIDES TO ERETMOCERUS-DEBACHI (HYMENOPTERA, APHELINIDAE), AN IMPORTANT PARASITOID OF PARABEMISIA-MYRICAE (HOMOPTERA, ALEYRODIDAE)

The effects of nine pesticides commonly used in citrus orchards were t ested on adults, larvae and pupae of the parasitoid Eretmocerus debach i Rose & Rosen in the laboratory. All pesticides caused immediate mort ality to adult parasitoid females and significant losses in efficiency if applied to larvae of E. debachi in its host Parabemisia myricae (K uwana). Only the fungicide captan and the insecticide Mercathion (mala thion) were slightly harmful and harmless to the parasitoid larva. Gra moxone (paraquat), Dursban 4 (chlopyrifos-ethyl), Mercathion and Supra cide (methidathion) were harmful to E. debachi pupae, while five other pesticides were only moderately harmful or harmless.