Hosts or Prey
Mealybugs
Identification
Evidence these tiny wasps or their relatives are present is that the covering of parasitized mealybugs becomes crusty, orange, and puffy (mummified). This appearance can be obscured by the mealybug's waxy covering, but the parasitism becomes more apparent as the mealybug wax weathers away, exposing the mummy.
After completing its development inside the host the adult Anagyrus leaves a rounded emergence hole in the mummified covering of mealybugs it killed. Note that Leptomastidea abnormis, Leptomastix dactylopii, and certain other parasitoids also mummify mealybugs and leave an emergence hole in hosts they killed.
Adult Anagyrus are 1/50 to 1/12 inch (0.5–2 mm) long. Females are commonly brownish to orangish and males mostly black, but coloration varies between species. Adults have clear to whitish wings and long antennae that can be dark or pale. Antennae of males have numerous hairlike projections.
Eggs, larvae, and pupae of Anagyrus species occur hidden inside parasitized mealybugs. The pale, spherical, stalked egg is about 1/100 inch (0.25 mm) long. When oviposited the stalk of the egg protrudes from the host mealybug.
Larvae are translucent to transparent or whitish. Mature larvae (fifth instars) and pupae are 1/50 to 1/12 inch (0.5–2 mm) long. Pupae are oblong and commonly females are brown to orange and male pupae are black. As they age distinct appendages develop folded against the body.
Life Cycle
Anagyrus species develop through 4 life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Adult females live about 1 week when temperatures are warm and honeydew and flower nectar are available for nourishment. Females oviposit in nymphs and adult females of mealybugs. Generally only 1 egg is laid in each host. If multiple eggs are deposited in a host only 1 parasitoid survives to adulthood.
Larvae develop through 4 or 5 increasingly larger instars as they feed inside mealybugs. Egg to reproductive adult development time is about 2 weeks when temperatures are warm. Anagyrus species have multiple generations per year. Overwintering is as larvae or prepupae (mature larvae) in parasitized mealybugs. Adults emerge in late winter or spring.
Habitat
Anagyrus species can be found almost anywhere their host mealybugs occur. Their habitat is mostly woody species including fruit and nut trees and woody landscape and wildland plants.
Anagyrus pseudococci was introduced into California from Brazil in 1934 for biological control of the citrus mealybug. Anagyrus callidus and A. kamali were deliberately introduced into Southeastern California in the 1990s for control of the invasive pink hibiscus mealybug. Pink hibiscus mealybug is no longer a pest because of effective classical biological control by these parasitoids.
Commercial Availability
Anagyrus pseudococci is reared commercially and sold for release to control various species of mealybugs. To conserve resident natural enemies and any that are released
- Control ants that attack natural enemies.
- Grow flowering insectary plants to provide nectar to nourish adult parasitoids and predators.
- Reduce dustiness that disrupts the activities of natural enemies (e.g., periodically hose off small plants).
- Avoid the application of broad-spectrum, persistent insecticides for all pests because they are toxic to natural enemies.
See the Selectivity of Insecticides and Miticides used in citrus and Relative Toxicities of Insecticides and Miticides Used in Grapes to Natural Enemies and Honey Bees to learn which pesticides are most compatible with biological control. See The Association of Natural Biocontrol Producers, Biological Control Organisms for Insects and Mites (PDF), Natural Enemy Releases for Biological Control of Crop Pests, and Protecting Natural Enemies and Pollinators for more information.
Species
At least 13 species of Anagyrus occur in California. They are A. californicus, A. callidus, A. clauseni, A. fusciventris, A. kamali, A. kivuensis, A. nigritus, A. pseudococci, A. putonophilus, A. smithi, A. subalbipes, A. vladimiri, and A. yuccae. All are parasitoids of mealybugs.
Anagyrus callidus and A. kamali are only known to parasitize pink hibiscus mealybug. By comparison A. fusciventris parasitizes at least 19 mealybug species and A. pseudococci parasitizes at least 35 species of mealybugs.
More Information
- Anagyrus callidus Triapitsyn, Andreason & Perring Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae, California Department of Food & Agriculture
- Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico. Vol. 1: Symphyta and Apocrita (Parasitica), U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Common Name: None Scientific Name: Anagyrus pseudococci Girault (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), University of Florida
- Universal Chalcidoidea Database, Natural History Museum of London
- Untangling the Anagyrus pseudococci Species Complex (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), Parasitoids of Worldwide Importance for Biological Control of Mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae): Genetic Data Corroborates Separation of Two New, Previously Misidentified Species, Biological Control
Scientific classification:
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hymenoptera
- Family: Encyrtidae
