Wasps of the genus Tiphia are the dominant group of parasitoids that attack scarabaeid larvae. Tiphia vernalis is active during the early spring in Kentucky parasitizing 3rd instar Japanese beetle grubs. Field and lab experiments were conducted to determine the effects of a late spring application of the soil insecticide imidacloprid on mortality of adult female T. vernalis wasps, the ability of T. vernalis wasps to locate hosts in treated soil and potential effects on the development of these ectoparasitic larvae in treated soil. Results will be discussed in terms of compatibility of imidacloprid with the conservation of the parasitoids of scarab larvae.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Tiphiidae Tiphia vernalis
Species 2: Coleoptera Scarabaeidae Popillia japonica (Japanese beetle)
Keywords: imidacloprid, conservation biological control
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