Cabbage seedpod weevil parasitoids
Last year, the focus of the Beneficial Insect of the Week was crop pests. This year, we’re changing things up and highlighting the many natural enemies that help you out, silently and efficiently killing off crop pests. [note: featured Insects of the Week in 2015 are available on the Insect of the Week page]
Early in the season, cabbage seedpod weevil adults can cause canola flower budblasting as they feed on developing flowers and later in the season, they will feed on pods. However it’s the larvae that cause most of the damage by feeding on developing seeds; infested pods are also more prone to shattering and may have a higher incidence of fungal infections. To the rescue are tiny wasp parasitoids that attack the adults (e.g. Microtonus melanopus) and larvae (e.g. Trichomalus lucidus).
For more information about these natural enemies, other pests they control and other important crop and forage insects, see the new Field Crop and Forage Pests and their Natural Enemies in Western Canada - Identification and Management Field Guide for identification, life cycle and conservation options (download links for field guide available on the Insect of the Week page).
Trichomalus lucidus, a cabbage seedpod weevil parasitoid.
CC 3.0 BY-NC-SA CNC/BIO Photography Group, Biodiversity Institute of Ontario
