Analysis of biological traits of Anagyrus cachamai and Anagyrus lapachosus to assess their potential as biological control candidate agents against Harrisia cactus mealybug pest in Puerto Rico

The Harrisia cactus mealybug (HCM), Hypogeococcus sp. (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is devastating native cacti in Puerto Rico and threatens cacti throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and North America. In South America, its native area, various natural enemies keep HCM under control. Two South American parasitoids, Anagyrus cachamai Triapitsyn, Logarzo & Aguirre and A. lapachosus Triapitsyn, Aguirre & Logarzo (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), were selected as potential biological control agents. Rearing protocol to conduct mass production, specificity studies and several aspects of the biology of these species were studied under laboratory conditions in Argentina. Anagyrus cachamai and A. lapachosus successfully attacked early instars of Hypogeococcus sp., have a balanced sex ratio, exhibited a development time synchronized with that of the host, and presented differences in their reproductive biology and development time. All these characteristics make these parasitoids promising candidates for introduction as biological control agents against the HCM pest in Puerto Rico.