Parasitoids of Delia planipalpis (Meigen) and Delia platura (Stein) (Diptera, Anthomyiidae) in Mexico

By

Nava-Ruiz, Paulina
Meraz-Álvarez, Ricardo
Valdez Carrasco, Jorge Manuel
Chávez-López, Onésimo
Bautista-Martínez, Néstor

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2021

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1046

Pages

177--187

Subjects

Biological control , crucifers , Hymenoptera , root maggots , soil pests , Staphylinidae

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1046.64405

 

Abstract

Among the insect pests that affect crucifer crops in Mexico are Delia planipalpis (Meigen) and D. platura (Stein). They are a threat to the production of these vegetables since the damage they cause directly and indirectly affects yield, quality, and commercialization of these crops. Nevertheless, the existence of natural enemies of these dipterans is still unknown. It is fundamental to determine which parasitoids or predators can be considered possible biological control agents in an integrated pest management program.<br> The sampling sites were located in Guanajuato, Puebla, and the State of Mexico, where plants of Brassica oleracea L. var. italica Plenk and capitata L., B. napus L., and Raphanus sativus L. infested with Delia spp. were selected. The symptoms observed were wilting, yellowish, flaccid leaves and individuals less developed than the rest of the crop. These plants were extracted with their root and the surrounding soil. Also, wild crucifers were collected, such as Raphanus raphanistrum L., Brassica campestris L., and Sisymbrium irio L. The first records of Aphaereta pallipes Say (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), Trybliographa rapae (Westwood) (Hymenoptera, Figitidae), and Aleochara bimaculata Gravenhorst (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) are reported parasitizing the puparia of these anthomyiid flies on cultivated and wild crucifers. This represents only a starting point for the continuous study of these parasitoids, which is needed to consider them useful for the biological control of D. planipalpis and D. platura.