Defoliation ofTerminalia catappaby Larvae ofThagona tibialis(Lepidoptera: Erebidae) in Viçosa, Brazil¹

Discovery of the firstAximopsis(Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae) Parasitoid of Lepidoptera in Brazil and Notes on Its Biology

“…parasitizing pupae of T. arnobia arnobia and T. tibialis in Brazil opens possibilities for biological control of these pests in Eucalyptus plantations and on T. catappa plants in urban and forest areas by producing and releasing this natural enemy. The initial infestation of T. tibialis (population peak in May) on T. catappa plants (Tavares et al 2013b(Tavares et al , 2014b near E. cloeziana plantations may have contributed to the dispersion, parasitism, and occurrence of Aximopsis sp. in Nov in T. arnobia arnobia pupae.…”

Parasitism of Lepidopteran Defoliators of Urban Plants byPalmistichus elaeisis(Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

“…Thagona tibialis Walker (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) (= Stilpnotia tibialis Walker) is considered a public health problem because its larval hairs and scales from adult moths cause allergies in humans (Tavares et al 2014). This pest has been reported from Argentina to Costa Rica as well as Brazil including Belo Horizonte and Viçosa, Minas Gerais State; Morro Reuter, Rio Grande do Sul State; and Brasília, Federal District (Tavares et al 2014), where it is a serious defoliator of Terminalia catappa L. (Combretaceae). Larvae have been reported to infest urban areas, such as gardens, parks, parking lots, and street lines where T. catappa trees occur (Tavares et al 2014).…”

“…This pest has been reported from Argentina to Costa Rica as well as Brazil including Belo Horizonte and Viçosa, Minas Gerais State; Morro Reuter, Rio Grande do Sul State; and Brasília, Federal District (Tavares et al 2014), where it is a serious defoliator of Terminalia catappa L. (Combretaceae). Larvae have been reported to infest urban areas, such as gardens, parks, parking lots, and street lines where T. catappa trees occur (Tavares et al 2014). Adults of the gregarious pupa endoparasitoid, Palmistichus elaeisis Delvare & La Salle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) have been observed to emerge from T. tibialis pupae collected on a T. catappa tree in Viçosa (Tavares et al 2012(Tavares et al , 2013a.…”