Dispersal capacity of Aphytis melinus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) after augmentative releases

The authors report the results of a trial on the spatial dispersion of Aphytis melinus DeBach (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), ectoparasitoid of Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell) (Homoptera: Diaspididae), after augmentative releases. The experiment was conducted in May-June 2006 in a Sicilian integrated citrus orchard in a 1-ha plot divided in two halves: one where a single release of A. melinus (180,000 adults) was performed and the other left as untreated control. The flight range of the parasitoid was evaluated using yellow sticky traps activated with A. aurantii sexual pheromone. The total number of parasitoids trapped at the end of the trial was significantly different between the released plot and the control plot. The dispersal capacity of the parasitoid was assessed.