Abstract:

Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an invasive insect species attacking maize ( Zea mays L.) and other cereal crops causing important yield losses. The occurrence of this insect in Turkey was first reported in maize growing areas of some provinces in the East Mediterranean region of Turkey in 2014. Chemical or other pest control methods do not always provide acceptable control of this pest, so biological control is considered an important alternative. However, for a successful biological control, the first step is to reliably identify the natural enemies of a target pest, which is difficult to achieve using methods based on morphology. Recent developments in molecular techniques allow more reliable identification of insect species and their parasitoids. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the egg parasitoids of C. partellus by molecular methods. Parasitized eggs were collected from maize fields in Hatay province, Turkey, from September to October 2014 and in September 2015. Eggs were maintained in the laboratory and emerging adult parasitoids were subjected to molecular analysis. Using DNA barcoding, two native natural enemies, Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) and Telenomus busseolae (Gahan) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) were identified as egg parasitoids of C. partellus for the first time in Turkey.

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