''Neodusmetia sangwani'' is an
encyrtid parasitoid
In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...
from India that was used in classical biological control of the Rhodesgrass Scale, ''
Antonina graminis
''Antonina graminis'' or Rhodes grass scale is a species of mealybug in the family Pseudococcidae. In the 1940s the species, originating in Asia, infested nearly 69 species fodder and turf grasses in Texas causing major economic loss. Classical b ...
'' (Maskell) (
Pseudococcidae
Mealybugs are insects in the family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Many species are considered pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and subtropical trees and also act as a ...
) which is a major pest of grasses outside of its native range in Asia. The parasitoid was successfully controlled the scale infestation in Texas in the 1950s and 60s. It is considered among the most successful examples of classical biological control.
The species was first described by the Indian entomologist
B. R. Subba Rao in 1957. The type was obtained from ''Antonina graminis'' in
Hessarghatta, Bangalore by H.S. Sangwan after whom the species is named. The species completes one generation in about 20 days at 30 °C and about 50 to 60 days at 20 °C. The females are wingless, and short-lived while males have wings. In the two days lifespan, females lay about 6 eggs inside about 5 host scales.
The control of rhodesgrass scale in Texas in the 1960s is considered one of the success stories in
classical biological control.
Entomologists H.A. Dean and others estimated that the parasitoid saved $17 million in turf management per year and would have boosted cattle production by an estimated $177 million per year.
[ In Florida, the encyrtid parasitoid '']Anagyrus antoninae
''Anagyrus'' is a large genus of parasitic wasps from the family Encyrtidae. ''Anagyrus'' is distributed throughout the world. A subgenus of ''Anagyrus'' is known as ''Nesoanagyrus'' (Beardsley 1969)
Species
There are at least 247 species in t ...
'' was displaced in Florida after the introduction of ''Neodusmetia sangwani'' in the 1950s. The species has also been introduced into Israel and Brazil. Because the females are wingless, the dispersal is limited to about 0.8 km a year, assuming that populations survive through the year. The scale affected area was about 155,400 km2 which made it necessary to accelerate spread by air-dropping grass sprigs with parasites in cardboard boxes at about 1 per 0.25 square mile. The total cost of introducing the parasite by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Weslaco
Weslaco is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2020 census the population was 41,103, and in 2020 the estimated population was 41,103. It is located at the southern tip of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley near the Mexi ...
was estimated at under $200,000.
References
External links
Description
{{Taxonbar, from=Q14032157
Encyrtidae
Insects described in 1957