Parasitic Hymenoptera visiting the flowers of carrot planted in the truck crop field

Preliminary faunal surveys on the parasitic Hymenoptera visiting the flowers of carrot planted for seed production in the truck crop field were made in the suburbs of Fukuoka. Of 62 species in 13 families collected, ichneumonids and braconids were the most abundant groups, and chalcidids and pteromalids were also numerous. Most of these parasitic Hymenoptera were important natural enemies of truck crop pests, e.g., Apanteles glomeratus parasitic on the larva of the common white, Pieris rapae crucivora and Bracon onukil usually parasitic on the larva of the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis. It is suggested that the patches of carrot flowers scattered in the truck crop field play an important role as the source of food for the adults of some hymenopterous parasites of various crop pests.福岡市近郊の疏菜栽培地帯で,採種用に栽培された小さなニンジンの花畑に集まる寄生蜂相を調べた.9つの花畑で1961～1962年の2年間に35回の採集を行なつた結果,計13科62種520頭の寄生蜂を採集した.このうち,ヒメバチ科,コマユバチ科の寄生蜂が種類数,個体数ともに多く,これにアシブトコバチ科,コガネコバチ科の蜂が次いでいた.これらの寄生蜂の中にはモンシロチョウの幼虫寄生蜂であるアオムシサムライコマユバチ,ニカメイチュウの幼虫寄生蜂であるズイムシキイロコマユバチなど著名な害虫の天敵が多く,蔬菜栽培地帯の中に点在する小さなニンジンの花畑が周囲の畑や水田の害虫の有力な寄生蜂を集め,それらの食餌源としての重要な役割を果していることが示唆された