Cotesia flavipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) as a Biological Control Agent of Sugarcane Stem Borers in Colombia's Cauca River Valley

Releases of the parasitoid Cotesia flavipes have been carried out since late 2014 in Colombia's Cauca River Valley to complement other biological control on sugarcane stem borers (Diatraea spp.). To confirm the identity of the species being released as well as those recovered in the field, including samples from the department of Santander in western Colombia, specimens were examined using a fragment of cytocrome oxydase I (COI). Results confirmed that the genetic identity of the specimens sequenced corresponded to C. flavipes, with a genetic divergence of 0.00 to 0.03 as compared with GenBank registers. In the Cauca River Valley, parasitoid distribution currently extends from La Virginia (Risaralda) to Palmira (Valle del Cauca), and is mainly associated to the geographical distribution of the new Diatraea species reported in the region, D. busckella and D. tabernella.