Biological control of the Eucalyptus bronze bug Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae) in Argentina: release and recovery of the introduced egg parasitoid Cleruchoides noackae (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae)

Abstract

In Argentina, a classical biological control program for the Eucalyptus bronze bug, Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Carpintero & Dellapé), with the egg parasitoid Cleruchoides noackae Lin & Huber (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) was initiated in 2014. Parasitized eggs of the pest were imported from Uruguay, and a founder colony was established under laboratory conditions. From April 2014 onwards, field releases of adult C. noackae were carried out on eucalypt trees in experimental and commercial plantations in five sites. Then, establishment and parasitism rates were analyzed through sampling of T. peregrinus eggs in spring–summer 2015 to 2020. The parasitoid was recovered in four out of the five sites studied. Four years after the parasitoid had been released, the parasitism rate reached 40% on average. This result confirmed that C. noackae was established in the field, potentially providing a tool for the biological control of T. peregrinus.