In a study of the parasitoid complex of the locust leaf miner Phyllonorycter robiniella (Clemens, 1859), 23 species of its parasitoids were recorded at 18 localities in Serbia. The parasitoid species included 2 species of the family Braconidae, 1 of the family Eupelmidae, and 20 of the family Eulophidae. The recorded species of parasitoids are polyphagous; in addition to Ph. robiniella, they also develop on other species of leaf miners as primary; primary and secondary; or primary, secondary, and tertiary parasitoids. Among the recorded species of parasitoids, the most significant were the species Pholetesor bicolor, Pholetesor nanus, Sympiesis sericeicornis, Sympiesis acalle, Minotetrastichus frontalis, Pediobius saulius, and Baryscapus nigroviolaceus. The parasitoids were found to have a strong effect on the abundance of Ph. robiniella because they reduced more than 50% of its larvae and pupae in the majority of study samples.
The aim of this research was to study the diversity of jumping plant-lice parasitoids and to investigate their potential in biological control applicable to cultivated and ornamental plants. Thirteen species from six genera of encyrtid wasps (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea, Encyrtidae) were reared from 24 species of jumping plant-lice (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) in Serbia. A total of 689 encyrtid wasps were collected since 2003 from 51 localities, reared from hosts. The richest genera are Psyllaephagus with four species (P. belanensis (Hoffer), P. fulvipes Erdös, P. procerus Mercet and Psyllaephagus sp.) and Syrphophagus with three species (S. aphidivorus (Mayr), S. taeniatus (Förster) and S. ariantes (Walker)). The most common species, comprising about half of the reared specimens, is Prionomitus mitratus (Dalman). Eight species are new to Serbia: Microterys annulatus (Erdös, 1957), Prionomitus tiliaris (Dalman), Psyllaephagus belanensis, P. fulvipes, P. procerus, Sectiliclava cleone (Walker), Syrphophagus ariantes and Trechnites flavipes (Mercet). Psyllaephagus fulvipes was reared from the nymphs of Craspedolepta conspersa (Löw), the only known host of this species so far. In the present study, 27 new host associations were found.
Altogether 26 species of phloemophagous and xylophagous insects, 47 species of parasitoids, 14 species of predators and 7 species of inquilines were identified on the branches of Quercus cerris, Q. frainetto, Q. petraea and Q. robur, diameter 3-15 cm, at 24 sites in Serbia over the period 1992-1996. The greatest number of the identified species were taken from Q. petraea branches (66), followed by Q. cerris (49), Q. frainetto (48) and Q. robur (43). Among the identified phloemophagous and xylophagous insects, the most frequent and the most abundant species were Scolytus intricatus, Agrilus angustulus and Xylotrechus antilope. The most frequent and the most abundant parasitoid was Ecphylus silesiacus. In some samples, the species Entedon ergias, Cheiropachus quadrum and Dendrosoter protuberans were also among the more abundant parasitoids. The most significant predator was the species Tilloidea unifasciata, and the most significant inquilines were the species Poecilothrips albopictus and Asynapta pectoralis.
In the study of parasitoids of the plane leaf miner Phyllonorycter platani during 2004, 18 polyphagous parasitoid species were recorded in four tree rows and four parks in Serbia (3 species of the family Ichneumonidae and 15 species of the family Eulophidae). Among the recorded parasitoids, the most significant were the species Minotetrastichus platanellus, Pediobius saulius and M. frontalis, followed by the species Pnigalio agraules, P. pectinicornis, Sympiesis gordius and Neochrysocharis formosa. The other parasitoid species were rare and few. The parasitism rates in the study samples of Ph. platani ranged from 15.0 to 37.8 %.
Frequent windthrow in the strict reserves of spruce in the Kopaonik National Park provides much material favorable for the development of Ips typographus (L.) and Pityogenes chalcographus (L.) (Coleoptera, Scolytidae). Therefore it was assumed that the abundance of these bark beetles in the reserves was high and that they dispersed to the surrounding spruce forests. To verify this opinion, their population levels were monitored in the strict reserve Jankove Bare and the adjoining spruce forests over the period 2006-2008. I. typographus parasitoids were identified and the parasitism percent was determined in spruce forests around the reserves. Throughout the monitoring period, the abundance of I. typographus and P. chalcographus was found to be lower in the reserve than in the surrounding spruce forests. Five species of I. typographus parasitoids and a low parasitization percent were identified in spruce forests surrounding the reserve.
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