Spectrum of Egg Parasitoids and rate of Parasitism of Egg Batches of the pine processionary Moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Den. & Schiff.) in the Northern Peloponnes/Greece

Abstract

Investigations have been performed on egg batches of Thaumetopoea pityocampa sampled in the regions of Kalogria, Vrachneika, Fteri-Egio 300 m a.s.l., Fteri-Egio 500 m a.s.l. and Patra, all situated in the northern Peloponnes - Greece. From the collected 113 egg batches the parasitoids Ooencyrtus pityocampae (Mercet), Baryscapus servadeii (Dom.), Baryscapus transversalis Graham, Anastatus bifasciatus (Fonsc.) and Pediobius sp. have been established. The first two parasitoids were recorded at all of the five sites, while Pediobius sp. was found at Patra only. B. servadeii was the most abundant species at Kalogria, Vrachneika and FteriEgio 500 m a.s.l., and O. pityocampae at Fteri-Egio, 300 m a.s.l. and Patra, respectively. The number of eggs parasitised by O. pityocampae varied from 3.6 to 23.4 % that were attracted by B. servadeii from 0.9 to 22.6 %, by A. bifasciatus from 0.1 to 1.8 % and by B. transversalis from 0.1 to 1.4 % respectively, at the different sites. Pediobius sp. was found to 0.3 % of the egg masses.