ABSTRACT
The biological control project against the cereal aphids (Hom., Aphididae) in Chile. II. Exploration, importation and quarantine of predator and parasitoid species

Enrique Zúñiga S.1, Robert Van den Bosch2, John J. Drea3 y Francis Gruber4
 

The cereal aphids Metopolophium dirhodum and Sitobion avenae became major insect pests, after their first appearance in South America, in 1966. A biological control project was iniciated by INIA, with the cooperation of FAO, UNDP, the University of California, and other foreign institutes, in 1975, and included the importation of five coccinelids and nine parasitoids species. The main exploration survey and rearing of colonies was conducted by the USDA-ARS European Parasite Laboratory, while some other species were collected in Canada, Czechoslovakia, Israel, United States and South Africa. On receipt of the colonies, they were kept for a recommended careful period of quarantine, at the La Cruz Exp. Sta. (INIA). A list of the aphidophagous species already present in Chile and their aphid host species is presented, including some highly efficient species of predators, contrasting with a lack of parasitoids. The total number of colonies shipped into Chile, the original information of host plant-aphid-host, the cooperative institu-tes and the initial outcome of the entomophagous, is also given.

Keywords:
1 Subestación Experimental La Cruz (INIA), Casilla 3, La Cruz, Chile.
2 Division of Biological Control, Univ. of California (Q.E.P.D.)
3 Benificial lnsect Introduction Laboratory, USDA, ARS, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA.
4 European Parasite Laboratory, USDA, ARS, 13-17 de la Masse Béhoust Orgerus 78910, France.