Difference in parasitoid complex of Gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), between mountain Coppice and urban Greenery in Osaka, Japan

Abstract

We investigated the parasitoid complex of gypsy moth populations in a coppice on Mt. Mikusa in northern Osaka and in urban greenery of the campus of Osaka Prefecture University (OPU) in southern Osaka in 1997. We collected 79 and 117 gypsy moth larvae on Mt. Mikusa and at the OPU, respectively, from May to July. The larvae were reared individually on fresh leaves of Quercus acutissima under a photoperiod of 14L-10D at 22°C. Seventeen (21%) and 36 (31%) larvae and pupae were killed by eight species of parasitoid for the Mt. Mikusa and OPU moth populations, respectively. The Hymenopteran parasitoid, Hyposoter sp. (Ichneumonidae) was obtained from both sites, while Glyptapanteles liparidis, Protapanteles sp. (Braconidae) and Ichneumonidae sp. were obtained only from Mt. Mikusa, and Cotesia melanoscela, Meteorus pulchricornis (Braconidae) were obtained only from OPU. The Dipteran parasitoids, Exorista japonica and Bessa parallela (Tachinidae) were obtained only from OPU. The percentage of E. japonica was 68% of the total parasitoids from OPU, while that of the dominant species, A. Lymantriae, was only 23% on Mt. Mikusa. The species diversity (1 - λ) of the parasitoid complex was higher on Mt. Mikusa (0.80) than at OPU (0.55).