Notes on the egg parasitoids of Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Den. & Schiff.) (Insecta Lepidoptera Thaumetopoeidae) collected on the Greek island Hydra

Abstract

In the island Hydra pine trees are highly infested by the processionary moth. The egg-batches of the pest were attacked by the primary parasitoids Ooencyrtus pityocampae (Mercet) and Baryscapus servadeii (Dom.) and the hyperparasitoid Baryscapus transversalis Graham. In 1995, the hatching rate of the caterpillars was found at 50%, the impact of parasitoids was nearly 40%. O. pityocampae was the most frequent ooparasitoid, B. servadeii parasitized only 7% of the eggs studied. The emergent pattern of the parasitoids was presented for 1996 after hibemation. The primary parasitoids were equally distributed in the egg-batch, since the hyperparasitoid preferred the top part to more than 50%. The meconium of B. transversalis was presented for the first time.