First record of Anastatus reduvii (Howard, 1880) (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) as egg parasitoid of Edessa meditabunda (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Panama

Abstract

Objective: To record for the first time the parasitism of Anastatus reduvii (Howard, 1880) (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), as egg parasitoid of the "stink bugs" Edessa meditabunda (Fabricius, 1794) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Panama. Methodology: Biological and ecological observations were made in three gardens of three adjacent residences; located in Las Villas de Arraiján, Panama Oeste province. Monthly monitoring was carried out in the three gardens from May 2020 to May 2022 on three Hibiscus tiliaceus (L.) (Plantae: Malvaceae) plants, adding a total of 16 postures of the "stink bug" E. meditabunda. The bug oviposition was observed, and photographed; then they were collected and taken to the laboratory to wait for egg hatching; after that, the specimens were preserved in vials with 70% ethanol; then they were mounted and identified, through specialized literature. Results: 16 postures of the E. meditabunda bug found on the rear side of the leaves of the H. tiliaceus (L.) plant were collected. Each clutch contained two rows of seven eggs each on average, making a total of 14 eggs per clutch. During the three-year monitoring, a total of five completely parasitized clutches were obtained from the E. meditabunda eggs; one in 2020, two in 2021 and two in 2022 obtaining a total of 70 parasitoids, 68 females and 2 males, all corresponding to the species A. reduvii. Conclusion: Parasitism of the A. reduvii wasp (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) on E. meditabunda eggs is reported for the first time. The female-male ratio of the parasitoid in this study was 34:1, where males are very rare. In addition to the biological and ecological interactions presented between these insects; it is important to consider this species of parasitoid for the future and possible biological control programs in the region.