Suitability of nine Mealybug species (Homoptera : Pseudococcidae) as hostsfor the parasitoid Anagyrus kamali (Hymenoptera : Encyrtidae)

The parasitoid Anagyrus kamali Moursi [Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae] has been re cently introduced into the Caribbean as a biological control agent against the Hibiscus Mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus Green [Homoptera: Pseudococ cidae]. In order to understand host/ parasitoid ecological interactions and optimize the mass-production system of this parasitoid, eight mealybug spe cies (Planococcus citri (Risso), Planococcus halli Ezzat & McConnel, Dysmic occus brevipes (Cockerell), Pseudococcus elisae Borchsenius, Saccharococcus sacchari (Cockerell), Puto barberii (Cockerell), Nipaecoccus nipae (Newste ad), Plotococcus neotropicus (Williams & Granara de Willink)) common to Tri nidad were tested to determine their potential as alternative hosts for the parasitoid. Susceptibility, preference and suitability tests were conducte d. In addition to M, hirsutus (4.5 +/- 2.04 hosts parasitized per female pa rasitoid in 30 min), Planococcus citri (1.1 +/- 1.23 hosts parasitized) and Planoccocus halli (0.8 +/- 1.41 hosts parasitized) were the only species p arasitized. However, the parasitoid did not complete its development in the latter two hosts. Out of nine mealybug species, M. hirsutus was the only s uitable host for the complete development of A. kamali progeny. This level of host specificity by A. kamali may prevent adverse effect to other Caribb ean mealybug species.