A survey on pupae parasitoid species of Dendrolimushoui (Lajonquiere) (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae) in China

Biodivers Data J. 2023 Mar 27:11:e97878. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e97878. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Cryptomeriajaponicavar.sinensis Miquel in south China is currently overwhelmingly infested by a native caterpillar species, Dendrolimushoui (Lepidoptera), which is causing severe economic losses and ecological disasters in both planted and natural forests. Our results include report of five parasitoid species and eight parasitoid flies within D.houi and a dominant endoparasitoid species Kriechbaumerelladendrolimi, which attacks pupae of D.houi with a high parasitism rate. This result might be helpful to improve better identification and application in the future for potential biological control of D.houi in the forests of east Asia.

Keywords: Cryptomeriajaponica; Dendrolimushoui; defoliator; natural enemy; parasitoid.