Evaluation of the Argentinian parasitoid, Trichopoda giacomellii (Diptera : Tachinidae), for biological control of Nezara viridula (Hemiptera : Pentatomidae) in Australia

An Argentinian parasitoid, Trichopoda giacomellii (Blanchard) (Diptera: Tac hinidae), was evaluated prior to its release in Australia as a biological c ontrol agent for the green vegetable bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). In no-choice host specificity studies, females of T. giacome llii with or without prior exposure to N. viridula were exposed in separate tests to selected representatives of indigenous Australian Hemiptera. In a ddition to the target N. viridula, only species of the pentatoma group of P entatomidae, Plautia affinis Dallas, Alciphron glaucas (Fabricius), and Gla ucias amyoti (White), attracted oviposition and supported complete developm ent by T. glacomellii. Two Pentatomidae, Cuspicona forticornis Breddin and Anaxarchus pardalinus Stal, attracted oviposition but parasitoids failed to develop. Other Pentatomidae failed to attract oviposition by T. giacomelli i, including Biprorulus bibax Breddin, Piezodorous hybneri (Gmelin), Cuspic ona simplex Walker, Oechalia schellenbergii (Guerin-Meneville), and Cematul us nasalis (Westwood); likewise for Scutelleridae, including Lampromicra se nator (Fab.) and Tectocoris diophthalmus (Thunberg), as well as for Tessara tomidae, including Musgraveia sulvicentris Stal, and for Coreidae, includin g Amblypelta nitida Stal and A. lutescens lutescens (Distant). Releases of T. giacomellii commenced in 1996 at Brookfield, Caboolture, and Indooroopil ly in Queensland and near Moree in New South Wales. (C) 1999 Academic Press .