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Back to List of Background & Research Materials Woodward,
D.R. PREDATORS
AND PARASITOIDS OF Megachile rotundata
(F.) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 33: 13 - 15. 1994. Abstract. Melittobia australica Girault parasitised 19% of the estimated viable population (1,340 prepupae) of leafcutting bee (Megachile rotundata) cells during the 1988-89 season. This parasitic wasp was successfully controlled by cool storage of leafcutting bee prepupae at 2 - 4 ºC with the result that no live parasitoids emerged during the following season’s incubation. No M. australica were detected in the field during the 1989-90 season. It is suggested that establishment of a feral population of M. rotundata in South Australia would be slowed, but not prevented by predation of nest cells and adults by ants, parasitism of cells by the indigenous wasp M. australica, and possible predation of adults by birds. Melittobia Species Mentioned: Melittobia acasta, M. australica, M. clavicornis, M. hawaiiensis. Comments. Melittobia australica is mentioned as a parasite of Megachile rotundata in Australia for the first time. Field observations are presented and conclude that M. australica is the most likely species to influence population management of Megachile rotundata in Australia.
Melittobia acasta and Melittobia hawaiiensis are mentioned as
imported to Southern Australia with importation of Megachile rotundata from New Zealand and Canada, and that both Melittobia species were successfully controlled
in quarantine. Melittobia hawaiiensis in Donovan's paper
(1976. New Zealand Entomologist
6:192 - 193.) is corrected
as Melittobia clavicornis. |