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High rates of parasitism of blueberry spanworm (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) by Ichneumonidae and Tachinidae in commercial lowbush blueberry fields

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Abstract

Blueberry spanworm, Itame (Macaria) argillacearia Packard, is an important defoliator of lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton), a major crop in eastern Canada. In the summer of 2012, we collected a large number of blueberry spanworm larvae from two managed blueberry fields in Colchester Co., Nova Scotia. Approximately 50–60 % of the field-collected larvae maintained in the laboratory were parasitized and killed. Identifications of parasitoids were based on morphological characters and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I sequencing. The majority of parasitism was by Phryxe pecosensis (Diptera: Tachinidae), and a wasp suspected to be a new species of Tranosemella or Tranosema (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Our results demonstrate that parasitism of blueberry spanworm can be high in lowbush blueberry and that conservation or augmentative biological control should be considered in future development of management programs for this pest.

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Acknowledgments

We thank James O’Hara and Andrew Bennett at CNC, and David Wahl at the American Entomological Institute for assisting with morphological identification of Tachinidae and Ichneumonidae. Financial support for this research was through a Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture Technology Development grant to GCC, in partnership with the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia, and through an Atlantic Innovation Fund to NKH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, Truro, NS, Canada

    G. C. Cutler & E. C. A. De Silva

  2. Southern Crop Protection and Food Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, London, ON, Canada

    T. D. Gariepy

  3. Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada

    N. K. Hillier

Authors
  1. G. C. Cutler
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  2. T. D. Gariepy
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  3. E. C. A. De Silva
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  4. N. K. Hillier
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. C. Cutler.

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Communicated by M. Traugott.

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Cutler, G.C., Gariepy, T.D., De Silva, E.C.A. et al. High rates of parasitism of blueberry spanworm (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) by Ichneumonidae and Tachinidae in commercial lowbush blueberry fields. J Pest Sci 88, 219–223 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-015-0650-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-015-0650-6

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