Diamondback moth parasitoid survey in Central Brazil

The diamondback moth (DBM) Plutella xylostella (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) is the most important pest of Cole crops in Brazil. Estimated costs of DBM control may reach 30% of total production costs during the driest months of the year in Central Brazil and may cause serious economic losses to the farmers in the region. In Brazil, very little effort has dealt with the population dynamics of parasitoids associated with DBM. The objectives of this research were to collect and identify the parasitoids of DBM occurring in Central Brazil, aiming in the future, to subsidize IPM strategies based on biological control of DBM. The parasitism rate averaged about 17% over the three years of the experiment and rainfall appeared to favor Apanteles sp. population increase and to be detrimental to Oomyzus sokolowskii and Diadegma sp. Ten parasitoid species were identified: Apanteles piceotrichosus Blanchard, Actia sp., Aphanogmus fijiensis (Ferriere), Cotesia sp. near plutellae Kurdjumov, Conura sp. immaculata group (undescribed), Conura pseudofulvovariegata (Becker), Diadegma leontidinae Brethés, Haltichella sp., Oomyzus sokolowskii, Trichomalopsis sp. oryzae (Risbec). Hyper parasitism was observed in D. leontidinae and A. piceotrichosus. (Résumé d'auteur