D3406: Comparative assessment of the impact of the egg parasitoids Paratelenomus saccharalis (Dodd and Ooencyrtus nezarae (Ishii) on kudzu bug, Megacopta cribrarium (Fab.), populations in north Florida

Megacopta cribrarium (Fab.) (Kudzu bug) is native to Asia but it has invaded the United States through Georgia in 2009. The kudzu bug has then spread to more than 14 other States, including Florida. It has become a serious pest of soybean, the second most planted field crop in the United States after corn. It is therefore of great concern to farmers and a nuisance to homeowners. Two egg parasitoids of P. saccharalis and O. nezarae of kudzu bug have become established in the US, however, the impact of these natural enemies on kudzu bug populations is unknown. Our study was conducted to detect the presence of P. saccharalis and O. nezarae and assess their parasitism rates on kudzu bugs in Florida. Our data indicated the presence of P. saccharalis and Ooencyrtus nezarae in urban and forested areas, but only O. nezarae was recorded in agricultural areas in the last two years, O. nezarae and P. saccharalis were found in urban areas, agricultural areas, and in forested areas for all four counties selected. There were significant differences between the levels of parasitism on the kudzu bug by P. saccharalis and O. nezarae in agricultural, urban, and forested areas. These egg parasitoids showed seasonal co-occurrence in all three areas in both years. Significant positive correlations were determined between temperature and population density of egg parasitoids in all four areas in 2021. There was no significant correlation in between the population density of egg parasitoids and humidity in agricultural areas in 2020.