Abstract

ESPINOZA-CASTILLO, Diana Fernanda et al. Monitoring and population fluctuation of parasitoids of the chili pepper weevil Anthonomus eugenii (Cano, 1894 ) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in a producing area of Puebla, Mexico. Acta Zool. Mex [online]. 2023, vol.39, e3912568.  Epub Dec 01, 2023. ISSN 2448-8445.  https://doi.org/10.21829/azm.2023.3912568.

Anthonomus eugenii (Cano, 1894) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is the most important pest in chili crop. In Mexico, the natural parasitism of various control agents on the chili pepper weevil has been reported. This work the presence of parasitoids Jaliscoa hunteri (Crawford, 1908) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and Urosigalphus sp. (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is describes for the first time for the Puebla state, with a percentage of parasitism of 1.3% and 3.7%, respectively. In addition, it was determined that the population fluctuation of these natural enemies coinciding with the largest population of A. eugenii, therefore, these parasitoids can be considered an alternative for the biological control of the pest.

Keywords : biological control; Jaliscoa hunteri; Urosigalphus.