Leafminer Fly (Diptera: Agromyzidae) Occurrence, Distribution, and Parasitoid Associations in Field and Vegetable Crops Along the Peruvian Coast

Abstract

Leafminer ßies (Diptera: Agromyzidae) are important agricultural pests worldwide. The objective of our study was to assess the relative importance of agromyzids and their associated parasitoids in Þeld and vegetable crops along the Peruvian coast. In total, nine leafminer ßy species were identiÞed in 27 crops. The most dominant species was Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard) (88.0%). Liriomyza sativae Blanchard was the second most dominant species (8.59%) but mainly found in the most northern part of Peru. On average, a parasitism of 29.5% was registered by 63 parasitoids belonging to the families Eulophidae (41 spp.), Braconidae (11 spp.), Pteromalidae (8 sp.), Fitigidae (1 sp.), and Mymaridae (2 spp.). The endoparasitoids Halticoptera arduine (Walter) (48.2%), Chrysocharis flacilla Walker (19.5%), and C. caribea Boucek (8.0%) as well as the ectoparasitoid Diglyphus websteri (Crawford) (8.7%) were the most abundant parasitoids. H. arduine was not only the most abundant and efÞcient parasitoid but also parasitized all leafminer ßy species in 25 crops. The wide adaptation of the parasitoids H. arduine, C. flacilla, C. caribea, D. websteri, D. begini, and Ganaspidium Weld sp. to different host plants and leafminer ßy species indicates the potential use of those parasitoids for biological control programs. The high diversity of parasitoids supports the assumption that leafminer ßies are of neotropical origin. The heavily pesticide-based pest management practices along the Peruvian coast should take more advantage of the richness of parasitoids by augmenting its efÞcacy through the adoption of integrated pest management.

Potential for biological control of the vegetable leafminer, Liriomyza sativae (Diptera: Agromyzidae), in Australia with parasitoid wasps

“…as parasitoids of Liriomyza spp. in the USA and South America (Trumble ; Neder de Roman , Mujica & Kroschel ; Muchemi et al . ).…”

Mass production of Diglyphus isaea (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a biological control agent of a Korean population of potato leaf miner Liriomyza huidobrensis (Blanchard) (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

“…(Johnson & Hara ; Waterhouse & Norris ; Minkenberg ; Johnson ; Liu et al. ; Cisneros & Mujica ; Mujica & Kroschel ). Successful control of leaf miner species through migration of Diglyphus spp.…”

Effect of Host Plant on Feeding, Biological and Morphological Parameters ofLiriomyza huidobrensisBlanchard (Diptera: Agromyzidae)

“…Head et al (2000) reported the potential of using an entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema feltiae, in combination with chemical pesticides in an integrated pest management (IPM) programme against the pest. In the pest's native habitat, a complex of more than 60 parasitoid species were found associated with and keeping the pest under economic threshold (Murphy & La Salle 1999;Mujica & Kroschel 2011). The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) has imported three most promising of those parasitoids; (Phaedrotoma scabriventris Nixon (Braconidae: Opiinae), Halticopera arduine (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and Chrysocharis flacilla Walker (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)) from Peru (where they have been reported to cause mortality of between 20 and 52 %) and introduced into ICIPE's quarantine facilities for an IPM programme in Kenya (Mujica & Kroschel 2011;Chabi-Olaye et al 2013).…”

“…In the pest's native habitat, a complex of more than 60 parasitoid species were found associated with and keeping the pest under economic threshold (Murphy & La Salle 1999;Mujica & Kroschel 2011). The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) has imported three most promising of those parasitoids; (Phaedrotoma scabriventris Nixon (Braconidae: Opiinae), Halticopera arduine (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and Chrysocharis flacilla Walker (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)) from Peru (where they have been reported to cause mortality of between 20 and 52 %) and introduced into ICIPE's quarantine facilities for an IPM programme in Kenya (Mujica & Kroschel 2011;Chabi-Olaye et al 2013). Implementing an IPM programme and/or developing an efficient mass-rearing procedure will, however, require the understanding of how L. huidobrensis selects host plants for feeding and oviposition and ultimately how the host plants support its survival.…”