Egg parasitoid complex of the corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), in northwestern Argentina

LUFT ALBARRACIN, ERICA; TRIAPITSYN, SERGUEI V.; VIRLA, EDUARDO G.

REVISTA COLOMBIANA DE ENTOMOLOGíA

SOC COLOMBIANA ENTOMOLOGIA-SOCOLEN

Año: 2009

0120-0488

The corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis is the most important leafhopper pest of maize, Zea mays, in Latin America. A survey of the diversity of egg parasitoids of this leafhopper was carried out in Argentina. Samples were collected during summer from 2004 to 2007 using sentinel eggs of D. maidis on corn, Zea mays leaves, exposed in 48 cornfields of northwestern Argentina. Sixteen species belonging to four families of Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera) were identified, of which twelve species were new records as parasitoids of D. maidis. Zagella nanula, was registered for Argentina and it host is mentioned for the first time. This is the first record of species of Trichogrammatidae affecting eggs of the corn leafhopper in Argentina. The most abundant and frequent species were Anagrus breviphragma a (Mymaridae) and Pseudoligosita longifrangiata (Trichogrammatidae). The average parasitism rate of D. maidis eggs was 16,4%, ranging from 0% to 56,7%. Also provided are information on the distribution and known host associations of each parasitoid species, and a key for the identification of the females.