Arhopoideus peregrinus (Compere)

(Formerly known as Hungariella peregrina Compere).

Taxonomic placing: Insecta, Holometabola, Hymenoptera, Apocrita, Chalcidoidea, Encyrtidae.

Geographical distribution: A Neotropical natural enemy that has been introduced into and became established in the USA, Africa and Russia, as well as in Israel.

Host: Pseudococcus longispinus, the long-tailed mealybug.

Economic importance: A highly efficient endoparasitoid of the long-tailed mealybug.

Morphology Both sexes are blackish, except for bright spots on the wings, body length 1.0-1.4 mm

Life cycle: Arhopoideus peregrinus completed a generation in 80 days at 17°C, in 35 days at 25°C and in 30 days at 30°C. The eggs (about 40 per female) were placed into 1st and 2nd-instar host nymphs. In the laboratory the sex ratio was 1.3 females to one male. The parasitoid overwinters inside the host or as an adult on the trees. It is susceptible to low humidities, which greatly shorten its life, but is tolerant to low temperatures.

References

Swirski, E., Izhar, Y., Wysoki, M., Gurevitz, E. and Greenberg, s. 1980. Biological control of the longtailed mealybug Pseudococcus longispinus (Coccoidea, Pseudococcidae) in the avocado plantations of Israel. Entomophaga 25: 415-426.

Wysoki, M. 1977. Overwintering, oversummering, and the effect of extreme temperature and humidity levels on the parasitic wasp Hungariella peregrina Compere (Hymenoptera, Encyrtidae). Phytoparasitica 5: 15-25.