DOI: 10.1111/jen.70164 ISSN: 0931-2048
First Record of Larval Parasitism in
Disonycha glabrata
(F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) by
Myiop
Yony T. Callohuari, John O. Stireman, Matthew A. Bertone, Beatrice N. Dingha, Louis E. N. Jackai ABSTRACT
The amaranth flea beetle,
Disonycha glabrata
(F.), is a major pest of amaranth crops (
Amaranthus
spp.) in the United States. Despite its economic impact, its natural enemy complex remains poorly documented. In this study, we report the first record of larval parasitism
in
D. glabrata
by the tachinid fly
Myiopharus ancilla
(Walker). Field collections from infested amaranth plants in Greensboro and Goldsboro, North Carolina, revealed a parasitism rate of 45.45%. This level of incidence suggests that
M. ancilla
may play a significant role in the natural regulation of
D. glabrata
populations and should be considered a key component in the development of conservation biological control strategies for amaranth agroecosystems.