The citrus leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella (Lepidoptera : Gracillariidae)in South Texas: Incidence and parasitism

The citrus leafminer, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracill ariidae), was first reported in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in Aug ust, 1994. We surveyed about 40 orchards in 1995 and 20 in 1996. Percentage of leaf infestation by the leafminer was lowest on the spring flush, and i ncreased significantly in the early summer (May-July) and late summer flush es (Aug.-Oct.) through to late fall (Nov.-Dec.). Numbers of citrus leafmine r immatures usually ranged from 0-6.8 per leaf. Several native parasite spe cies were identified from the surveys, including 9 species of parasites fro m 3 families, Eulophidae, Proctotrupidae and Ceraphronidae. The most abunda nt native parasitoid was Zagrammosoma multilineatum (Ashmead) (Eulophidae). Less dominant parasitoids were the eulophids Horismenus sp., Closterocerus sp., Neochrysocharis sp., Pnigalio sp., and Tetrastichus sp. Percentage pa rasitism by native parasitoids usually ranged from 5-10%. The exotic parasi toid Ageniaspis citricola Logvinoskaya (Encyrtidae) was released in Februar y-April 1995 and August-October 1996.