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Host specificity of Anagrus epos: a potential biological control agent of Homalodisca vitripennis

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Abstract

Anagrus epos Girault (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) is a candidate for a classical biological control program targeting the glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS), Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), in California. Because mass production of GWSS is expensive and labor-intensive, a factitious host that is more economical to produce is desirable to mass produce A. epos for colonization and augmentation efforts. Here, we report the results of host specificity tests and potential rearing techniques for A. epos under laboratory conditions. Females discriminated and oviposited into eggs of seven cicadellid species: H. vitripennis, Circulifer tenellus (Baker), Erythroneura variabilis Beamer, Amblysellus grex (Oman), Graphocephala atropunctata (Signoret), Macrosteles severini Hamilton, and H. liturata Ball, and two cerambycid species: Phoracantha recurva Newman and P. semipunctata (F.). Anagrus epos successfully completed development in the eggs of H. vitripennis, C. tenellus, E. variabilis, A. grex, G. atropunctata, M. severini, and H. liturata. The use of a factitious host and potential nontarget effects of this generalist parasitoid are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by the Robert van den Bosch Memorial Scholarship awarded to R. K., a California Department of Food and Agriculture grant awarded to M. W. J. and R. L. G., an USDA ARS Special Cooperative Agreement awarded to M. W. J., and a University of California Pierce’s Disease Research Program grant awarded to J. G. M. and Richard Stouthamer. We thank Timothy D. Paine, Jocelyn G. Millar, Thomas Miller, Mariana C. B. Krugner, Candice Ann Stafford, Elizabeth A. Boyd, Rodrigo P. P. Almeida, and David J. W. Morgan for providing insects for experiments. This research forms part of the Ph.D. dissertation of R. K.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA

    Rodrigo Krugner, Marshall W. Johnson & Joseph G. Morse

  2. Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA

    Russell L. Groves

Authors
  1. Rodrigo Krugner
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  2. Marshall W. Johnson
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  3. Russell L. Groves
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  4. Joseph G. Morse
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Correspondence to Marshall W. Johnson.

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Krugner, R., Johnson, M.W., Groves, R.L. et al. Host specificity of Anagrus epos: a potential biological control agent of Homalodisca vitripennis . BioControl 53, 439–449 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-007-9080-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-007-9080-6

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