First report and molecular determination of Apanteles galleriae (Braconidae, Hymenoptera), a parasitoid of the lesser wax moth Achroia grisella F. (Pyralidae, Lepidoptera) in Northwest Argentina

GALINDO-CARDONA, ALBERTO; ACHAR, JORGE; GONZÁLEZ BRIZUELA, GIULIANA; MARTÍN, EDUARDO; SALVO, ADRIANA; MONMANY-GARZIA, A. CAROLINA

JOURNAL OF APICULTURAL RESEARCH

INT BEE RESEARCH ASSOC

Año: 2019 vol. 58 p. 550 - 552

0021-8839

Achroia grisella and Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) are two of the most common pestsin apiaries worldwide since in their larval stage they feed on wax combs that bees use for theiroffspring, on bees? food and on the wooden boxes. After finding some specimens of parasitoidsassociated to A. grisella cocoons in Tucumán, Argentina, our objective was to accurately identify thespecies and to study its oviposition habit as a basic biological aspect of the host-parasitoid association.We identified the parasitoid wasps as Apanteles galleriae (Braconidae, Microgastrinae) and hereinreport the species emerging from A. grisella for the first time in Argentina. Morphological andmitochondrial analyses of specimens coincided in their identification. Further studies on thisparasitoid species will allow us to design strategies for the biological control of this important beehivepest.