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MYTHIMNA MOTH Mythimna separata
(Walker) -- Lepidoptera, Noctuidae (Contacts) ----- CLICK on Photo to enlarge &
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Simmonds (1976) reported on an unusual instance of Mythimna separata in New Zealand, where the parasitoid Apanteles ruficrus Hal., primarily attacking Agrotis spp., was imported from Pakistan in an attempt to
control cutworms. However, after
liberation the degree of parasitism of M.
separate increased markedly
from a low level prior to the release of the Pakistan material. Apanteles
ruficrus had already been
recorded in New Zealand as a parasitoid of Mythimna. This
indicated, as seemingly probable, that the Pakistan strain of A. ruficrus was very much more effective than its New Zealand
counterpart (Simmonds 1976). It is
plain that following the release of the Pakistan material in New Zealand the
degree of parasitism by A. ruficrus increased considerably
with the subsequent spectacular decline in pest status of Mythimna. It was questioned whether the New Zealand
and Pakistan "stains" of A.
ruficrus were sibling
species, but impossible to distinguish morphologically. Simmonds reported that virtually complete
biological control was achieved with this project, and that prediction of
results would have been all but impossible. REFERENCES: [Additional references may be found at: MELVYL
Library ] Ratcliffe, F. N.
1965. Biological control. Austr. J. Sci. 28: 237-40. Simmonds, F. J.
1972. Approaches to biological
control problems. Entomophaga
17: 251. Simmonds, F. J.
1976. Some recent puzzles in
biological control. Entomophaga
21: 327-32. |