• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.125-132
• /
• 2003

Uzi fly (Exorista bombycis Louis) is one of the major larval endo-parasitoid of silkworm (Bombyx mori). It causes extensive damage to sericulture industry. The application of synthetic organic pesticides has tremendous impact on minimizing pest population but their overuse and frequent misuse and high sensitivity towards the silkworms, has forced the entomologists to search for alternatives to chemical control, which is safe to silkworm, environment and farm workers. Biological control continues to offer exciting possibilities for the control of fly pest population. It is environmentally safe alternative to chemical control and offering a long-term protection. Several potential hymenopteran parasitoids have been screened. Among successful natural enemies, Nesolynx thymus, Trichomalopsis apanteloctena, Trichopria sp., Brachymeria lasus, Pediobius sp., Spalangia sp., Spilomicrus karnatakensis and Dhirhinus sp. are important. It is essential to predict accurately the efficacy of these natural enemies in a new habitat prior to its introduction. The important desirable attributes of these potential parasitoids viz., host searching capacity, specificity, power of increase and fitness and adaptability of the parasitoid in new environment has been recorded. Results of the host parasitoid interaction indicate that the aging of the host function as a factor that influence the host finding efficiency of the parasitoid. It is highly scored with 15-20 hrs old pupa of the host. However, aging of the parasitoid does not significantly affect it. The sex ratio is female biased which is advantageous from biological control point of view, Biological suppression methods involving conservation and utilization of natural enemies have been discussed in detail.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.301-307
• /
• 2001

The pine needle gall midge (PNGM), Thecodiplosis japonensis Uchida et Inouye, is a serious pest in pine forests in Korea. Since the first report of PNGM infestation in Korea in 1929, the infestation area has been expanded gradually. In 1975 the distribution of PNGM and its parasitoids were surveyed throughout several infested areas in Korea. Annual survey has been made for the rates of gall formation by PNGM and parasitism by its parasitoids at the monitoring sites including newly infested area in 1975 since 1980. These data were used to examine the relationship between PNGM and its parasitoids for newly invaded areas. The gall forming rate of PNGM and the parasitism by the parasitoid were 34.8 and 1.9% in 1975, respectively, while the gall forming rate and the parasitism were 20.7 and 8.9% in 1985, respectively. The relationships of densities between PNGM and its parsitoid were weak in the early stage of dispersion, but the density of parasitoid was with an asymptotic increase along with PNGMs density increase during the observation period for 10 years.