Polyphagous koinobiosis: the biology and biocontrol potential of a braconid endoparasitoid of exophytic caterpillars

Abstract

Polyphagous koinobiosis might be a novel perspective to help elucidate the evolution of the physiological and ecological traits of parasitoid wasps and determine their use as biocontrol agents. The euphorine braconid Meteorus pulchricornis is a polyphagous koinobiont endoparasitoid of exophytic caterpillars from 15 families within 10 lepidopteran superfamilies. Here, the biology of this common but enigmatic parasitoid wasp is reviewed. The unique cocoon suspension system of M. pulchricornis protects it against predators during and after cocoon spinning. This structural cocoon protection method, as well as robust immune suppression mechanism, likely enables its very wide host range. In Japan, M. pulchricornis can reproduce both sexually and asexually, and the coexistence of sexual and asexual strains might be encouraged by its high polyphagy. In this review, the potential use of M. 2 pulchricornis as a biocontrol agent is also addressed.

Evaluation of Sensitivity to Phoxim and Cypermethrin in an Endoparasitoid,Meteorus pulchricornis(Wesmael) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), and Its Parasitization Efficiency Under Insecticide Stress

“…The solitary endoparasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael) is a dominant natural enemy of many lepidopteran pests, including S. litura ( Sheng et al 2014 , 2017 , Nishimura et al 2015 , Maeto 2018 , Nakano et al 2018 ). There have been many studies addressing the insecticide resistance of S. litura ( Shi et al 2019 , Xu et al 2020 ); however, there are few studies on the negative effects of insecticides on M. pulchricornis .…”

Mitochondrial DNA diversity and geographical distribution of sexual and asexual strains of the braconid parasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis

“…Introduction of sexual strains of M. pulchricornis from Europe to North America as biocontrol agent against the gypsy moth resulted in failure (Fusco, ). However, this species is a common polyphagous parasitoid of exposed lepidopteran larvae, including crop pests such as Helicoverpa , Spodoptera , and Orgyia (Maeto, ). Its genetic variation, especially among asexual strains, is of high interest for future efficient use as biocontrol agents.…”

“…Meteorus pulchricornis is a polyphagous and koinobiont endoparasitoid of exposed lepidopteran larvae of species from the Papilionoidea, Pyraloidea, Noctuoidea, etc. (Maeto, ). It is distributed in the whole Palaearctic region, including Europe, China, Korea, and Japan (Marsh, ; Maeto, ; Chen & Wu, ; Stigenberg & Ronquist, ; Stigenberg & Shaw, ).…”

Braconid and ichneumonid (Hymenoptera) parasitoid wasps of Lepidoptera from the Maltese Islands

“…Notes: New record for the Maltese Islands. It is a koinobiont larval endoparasitoid with an exceptionally wide recorded host range that extends to fifteen families (in ten superfamilies) of Lepidoptera and includes numerous Noctuidae (Maeto, 2018).…”