Controlling the abundance of the rose tortrix moth [Archips rosana (L.)] by parasitoids in apple orchards in Wielkopolska, Poland

Abstract

The rose tortrix moth [Archips rosana (Linnaeus)] is a dominant species among leafroller moths in Poland’s apple orchards. The study found high levels of parasitisation of the tortrix (15.5-40.1%), with the average level of parasitisation of 24.6%, by parasitoids of the families Ichneumonidae, Chalcididae and Tachinidae. The most effective were the Ichneumonidae, which decreased the tortrix abundance by 17.2%. The rose tortrix moth was parasitised by 7 Ichneumonidae species, namely: Trichomma enecator (Rossi), Phaeogenes semivulpinu (Gravenhorsts), Exochus mitratus (Gravenhorsts), Apechthis quadridentata (Thomson), Apechthis rufata (Gmelin in Linnaeus), Itoplectis maculator (Fabricius) and Pimpla turionellae (Linnaeus). The tortrix abundance was mainly reduced by I. maculator, which parasitised 5.1-32.2% of the pupae (15% on average).