IMPORTATION OF PARASITOIDS OF HOMALODISCA AND OTHER PROCONIINI GENERA FROM NORTHWESTERN MEXICO FOR BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF THE GLASSY-WINGED SHARPSHOOTER Project Leaders:

Nine species of Mymaridae and Trichogrammatidae parasitic on eggs of Proconiini sharpshooters were collected in northwestern Mexico in relation to biological control of glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar) in California. These included an unidentified (likely new) species of Gonatocerus Nees (Mymaridae), an egg parasitoid reared from Proconiini eggs in Sonora state, Mexico. The other species, also reared from Proconiini eggs in Sonora and Sinaloa, included Gonatocerus atriclavus Girault, Gonatocerus morrilli (Howard), and Gonatocerus novifasciatus Girault, and the trichogrammatids Burksiella sp(p)., Paracentrobia sp., Pseudoligosita sp., Ufens ceratus Owen, and U. principalis Owen. Colonies of Gonatocerus atriclavus, Gonatocerus novifasciatus and Pseudoligosita sp. were successfully established in the quarantine laboratory of the Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside (UCR), on eggs of the glassywinged sharpshooter. INTRODUCTION Species of Mymaridae and Trichogrammatidae are common parasitoids of Proconiini sharpshooter eggs, such as glassywinged sharpshooter (GWSS) [Homalodisca vitripennis (Germar)]. GWSS is native to the southeastern U.S. and northeastern Mexico, and became established in California ca. 1990 (Sorensen and Gill 1996). The economic importance of GWSS stems mostly from its efficiency as a vector of Xylella fastidiosa, which is the causal agent of Pierce’s disease in grapes, among other important diseases. Substantial research emphasis has been placed thus far on importation biological control of GWSS. To date, two approaches to importation biological control of GWSS in California are being followed. The “classical” approach of reuniting an exotic pest, such as GWSS, with its coevolved natural enemies from the pest’s area of origin is being explored via importation of parasitoids from the southeastern U.S. and northeastern Mexico. The “neoclassical” approach of importing non-coevolved natural enemies (i.e. parasitic on closely related host species) against exotic pests is being explored via importation of parasitoids from Minnesota (Anagrus epos Girault), southeastern Mexico, and Argentina. The long-term goal of the activities described herein was to contribute to neoclassical biological control efforts against GWSS, through importation of natural enemies from centraland north-western Mexico. At least six species of Proconiini were known from those areas, though it was doubtful that GWSS occurred there (MacGregor and Gutiérrez 1983, Pacheco Mendivil 1985, Takiya 2006). A neoclassical approach against GWSS was considered promising because efforts to date have not uncovered effective natural enemies in the pest’s native range, and because closely related host species occur in centraland north-western Mexico. This report presents the results of activities aimed at surveying and collecting egg parasitoids of Proconiini in the Mexican states of Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa, and Sonora between July 2006 and June 2007.