APHID PARASITOIDS IN THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS (, APHELINIDAE, APHIDIIDAE)

Stary; P. & van Harten, A., 1992. parasitoids in the Cape Verde Islands (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae, Aphidiidae). Misc. ,Gol., 16: 113-116.

Aphid parasitoids in the Cape Verde Islands (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae, Aphidiidae).- The rear- ing of various aphid species on various plants yielded three pnmary parasitoids: Aphelinus sp., Aphidius colemani Vier. and Diaeretiella rapae (M'Intosh). Both aphidiid species are broadly oligophagous. Fauna1 relationships show Afro-tropical features. The parasitoid spectmm was found specifically poor in relation to 29 aphid species known to occur in Cape Verde Islands. Severa1 parasitoids species are recornmended to be introduced in a biocontrol programme.

Key words: Aphidius colemani, Diaeretiella rapae, Fauna, Biological control.

(Rebut: 11 VI 92; Acceptació condicional: 8 X 92; Acc. definitiva: 19 193)

P. Staq' Dept. of lntegrated Pest Management, Inst. of Entomology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Braniiovská 31, 370 05 ceské BudZjovice, Czechos1ovakia.- A. van Harten, Yemeni Gemuzn Plant Protection Project, Dept. of Plant Protection, Ministry of Agric. and Water Res., P.O. Box 26, Sana'a, Rep. of Yemn.

This research was sponsored by "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit" (GTZ).

INTRODUCTION MATERTAL AND METHODS

Research on the islands fauna of aphid para- The research on aphid parasitoids was under- sitoids provides valuable data on the species taken within an overall research on the aphid composition, disiribution, host range, pecu- fauna of Cape Verde Islands (VAN HARTEN, liarities as well as faunal nchness al1 over the 1982, in press). world. Moreover, the results are of key Aphid parasitoids were reared from field- importante as a back-ground for biological collected aphid colonies in the laboratory. control within the framework of Integrated Aphid colonies of various species were Pest Management. collected in various environments in Cape The aphid fauna of the Cape Verde Islands Verde Islands in the course of 1982-1983 and has been relatively well-known in contrast to partially also in 1984-1985. that of the aphid antagonists. In total, 248 parasitoid specimens were This paper contains information on the examined: 143 Diaeretiella rapae and 105 hymenopterous pnmary parasitoids of . Aphidius colemani. RESULTS Host range

Review of parasitoids Both the parasitoid species determined are oligophagous. D. rapae is mainly associated Aphelinus sp. (Aphelinidae) with , to a lesser (Fitch): Sáo degree with . A. colemani is a Jorge, 82, on Zea mays, 5 specimens. much broader oligophage.

Aphidius colemani Viereck (Aphidiidae) Seasonal history Koch: Siio Jorge, 30 X 82, on Achyranthes asper, 52 speci- D. rapae was present throughout the year on mens. (irrigated) cabbage. On the contrary, A. Glover: Sáo Jorge, colemani was found in the course of the 22 X 82, Bidens pilosa, 17 specimens; Sena short rainy period (October-January). de Malaqueta, 12 XI 82, on beans, 1 speci- men. Spectrum Aphis nerii Boyer de Fonscolombe: Sáo Jorge, 5 X 82, on Nerium oleander, 4 speci- The parasitoid spectmm per aphid species mens. was found to be rather poor, being represent- Hyadaphis coriandri (Das): Siio Jorge, ed by a single parasitoid species. 10 XI 82, on Umbelliferae, 1 specimen. A comparison of the host range pattems Hysteroneura setariae (Thomas): Siio of parasitoids in the Cape Verde Islands indi- Jorge, 10 XI 82, on grasses, 1 specimen. cated that both parasitoids species did not Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch): Sáo interfere with each other in action. The only Jorge, 13 X 82, on Zea mays, 29 specimens. case rnight be Myzus persicae. Aphidencyrtus sp. was found as a hyper- parasitoids. Taxonomical notes: morphology of the DISCUSSION anterolateral area of tergite 1 of the abdomen manifested an unusually great reduction of Faunistics the longitudinal carinae. D. rapae is a cosmopolitan species of Diaeretiella rapae (M'htosh) (Aphidiidae) Palearctic ongin, and A. colemani is a pan- Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus): Cha das tropical species apparently of Afro-tropical Cadeiras, Island of Fogo, 1 XI 82, on origin (STARI,1975), which is also a com- Brassica, 26 specimens; Monte Genebra, mon and widely distributed parasitoid in Island of Fogo, 1 XI 82, on Brassica, 17 spe- Africa, in the northern Mediterranean area cimens. (coll. G. Scheibelreiter); Silo Jorge, (STARI,1976) as well as in areas south of the 10 XI 82, on Brassica, 63 specimens, 20 1 83, Sahara desert (STARIet al., 1985). However, on Brassica, 33 specimens. its host range is much broader in the tropical Myzuspersicae (Sulzer): Siio Jorge, 6 X 82, belt (STARI,1975). on Brassica, 4 specimens. A. colemani indicates fauna1 connections Alloxysta brassicae (Kief.) was found as a of the Cape Verde Islands with the tropical hyperparasitoid. West Africa. In comparison with other islands, the Dysaphis foeniculus on carrots are treated Cape Verde Islands manifest Afro-tropical with pesticides. Myzus persicae sometimes patterns, as both the Canary Islands causes problems on paprika. However, (MACKAUER,1962) and Madeira (STARIet aphids in rainfed crops may cause more al., in press) involve different and clearly serious problems as in such crops insecticide palearctic-Mediterranean species. treatments are impracticable. Rhopalosiphum A significant reduction of the species maidis on maize, and Aphis craccivora number and correspondingly fewer species cause considerable losses in some years, represented in the parasitoid spectrum per but normally they are controlled by their aphid species are the most typical features of natural enemies. island faunas (STARI,1970). This phenome- Many beneficia1 were imported to non is emphasized in the subtropical and spe- the Cape Verde Islands for the biocontrol of a cially in the tropical belt. For example, in number of pests (VANHARTEN et al., 1990). Madeira (STARIet al., in press), Canary Activities were undertaken for intro- Islands (MACKAUER,1962), Corse (STARIet duction of Lysiphlebus testaceipes al., 1975), Cuba (STARI,1981), Guadeloupe (Cresson) to the Cape Verde Islands. (STARIet al., 1987) and Trinidad (BENNET~, Material of L. testaceipes was obtained from 1985). Hawaii but the final number of surviving Usually, one species -mostly a broad oli- imported specimens was negligible and no gophage- becomes the dominant one which releases were made (VANHARTEN et al., covers the whole parasitoid spectrum of the 1990). particular aphid species present. In the Cape Proposals for introduction of Lysiphlebus Verde Islands this is the case of A. colemani. fabarum (Marshall) and L. testaceipes have been examined (VANHARTEN, in press). Biological control Introduction activities should be suppor- ted. Successful introduction of selected spe- The situation of aphids as well as that of their cimens presumably cover populations of antagonists (parasitoids) seems to be very most aphid species in most environments. useful for implementing biocontrol of aphids Furthermore, it can be reliably predicted in crop protection system in the Cape Verde whether or not a parasitoid species (host Islands. The island character, the climate and range) might represent a biotic danger to the the composition and crop production, are endemic aphid fauna; however, aphid species apparently positive factors in the same way of that type have not been found in Cape as in the biocontrol of a number of other pests Verde Islands (VANHARTEN, 1982, in press). (VANHARTEN et al., 1990). Finally, the presence of more aphid parasi- The history of research on the aphid fauna toid species largely prevents population out- of the Cape Verde Islands has been summari- breaks of new pest immigrants, i.e., such zed in two papers by VAN HARTEN(1982, in parasitoids are preventive biological control press). The relatively final status of aphids agents. known includes 29 species. Activities should be supported to Aphids are reported not to belong to pests introduce at least L. testaceipes and of primary importance as agricultura1 pests L. fabarum-group species in the Cape Verde and virus vectors in the Cape Verde Islands. Islands. Both species exert a heavy pressure Brevicoryne brassicae on cabbage and on aphid populations in the Mediterranean as Misc. Zool. 16, 1992

- 1976. Aphid parasites (Hymenoptera, Aphidiidae) well as in other areas. Both were successfully of the Mediterranean area. Trans. Czechosl. Acad. introduced into Burundi (AUTRIQUEet al., Sci., Ser. Math. & Nat. Sci., 86(2): 1-96. 1989). A special goal might be L. testaceipes - 1981. Aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera, because of spectacular introduction results Aphidiidae) of Cuba. Acta Entomol. Bohemoslov., obtained in the Mediterranean (STARIet al., 78: 33-42. STARI,P., CEC~LIO,A. & FRANQUINHOAGUIAR, A. 1988a, 1988b; for references also STARI,et M., (in press). Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cr.), an al., in press). After its introduction to the exotic parasitoid biocontrol agent of aphids in French Riviera in 1973-1974 and a subse- Madeira Island (Hymenoptera, Aphidiidae). Bol. quent rather fast spread over most of the west Mus. Mun. Funchul. Mediterranean L. testaceipes occurs nowa- STAR* P., LECLANT,F. & LYON,J. P., 1975. Aphidiidae (Hym) et aphides (Hom.) de Corse. 1. days prevalently in the coastal areas from the Les Aphidiides. Ann. Soc. ent. Fr., N.S., 11: 745- north of Spain to Portugal, the Mediterranean 762. coast of Spain and France and throughout STARI,P., LYON,J. P. & LECLANT,F., 1988a. Bio- Italy up to Sicily (STARIet al., in press). It control of aphids by the introduced Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cress) (Hym., Aphidiidae) in medite- was also capable of crossing the sea (appa- rranean France. Z. angew. Ent., 105: 74-87. rently by air streams) and reached acciden- - 1988b. Post-colonisation host range of Lysiphlebus tally some islands. It was found in Capri testaceipes (Cresson) in the mediterranean area (ST~Iet al., in press), in the Canary ~slahds (Hymenoptera, Aphidiidae). Acta Entomol. (Michelena, in prep.) and also in Madeira Bohemoslov., 85: 1-11. STARL,P., REMAUDIERE,G. & AUTRIQUE,A., 1985. (STARIet al., in press). Les aphidiides parasites de pucerons en region éthiopienne. In: Contribution d l'écologie des aphides africains. Étude FAO, Production REFERENCES Végétale et Production des Plantes, 64: 95-102 (G. Remaudikre & A. Autrique, Eds.). FAO, AUTRIQUE,A., STAR* P. & NTAHIMPERA,L., 1989. Rome. Biological control of pest aphids by hymenopte- STAR~P., REMAUDIERE,G. & ETIENNE,J., 1987. rous parasitoids in Burundi. FA0 Plant Prot. Aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Aphidiidae) Bull., 37: 71-74. from Guadeloupe, West Indies. Florida Entomol., BENNETT,F. D., 1985. First records of hymenopte- 70: 178-180. rous parasites of aphids from Trinidad, West VANHARTEN, A., 1982. Lista anotada dos afídeos Indies. Florida Entomol., 68: 227-228. (Homoptera: Aphidoidea) conhecidos das Ilhas de MACKAUER,M., 1962. Aphid parasites from the Canary Cabo Verde. Agronomia Lusit., 41: 313-321. Islands (Hym. Aphidiidae). EOS, 38: 435-443. - (in press). The aphids (Homoptera, Aphidoidea) STAR~,P., 1970. Biology of aphid parasites of Cape Verde Islands. Courier Forschungs- (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) with respect to inte- Institut Senckenberg. grated control. Series entornologica, 6:l-643. VAN HARTEN,A., NEVES,A. M. & BRITO,J. M. , - 1975, Aphidius colemani Viereck: Its taxonomy, 1990. Importation, propagation, release and reco- distribution and host range (Hymenoptera, very of parasites of agricultura1 pests on the Cape Aphidiidae). Acta Entomol. Bohemoslov., 72: 156- Verde Islands, April 1983-December 1987. Inv. 163. Agr., S. Jorde dos Organos, 3(2): 39-49.