NON-TARGET SPECIES SELECTION FOR HOST RANGE TESTING OF COTESIA URABAE

摘要

Classical biological control is being attempted for Uraba lugens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Nolinae), an Australian eucalypt pest established in New Zealand. The Australian solitary larval endoparasitoid Cotesia urabae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is the most promising agent under investigation. A non-target species list was compiled for host range testing. The endemic species Celama parvitis is the sole New Zealand representative of the Nolinae and was highest priority. The next most closely related subfamily is the Arctiinae, of which New Zealand has four endemic species (Metacrias huttoni, M. erichrysa, M. strategica and Nyctemera annulata) and one introduced biological control agent (Tyria jacobaeae). The merits of including other, more distantly related, members of the Noctuidae, and unrelated Lepidoptera filling a similar niche are discussed.