Assassins unmasked: Revealing the biology of the hyperparasitoid Psyllaphycus diaphorinae

Since its initial description by Hayat in 1972, Psyllaphycus diaphorinae (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) has been subject to very little research, as it has proven both elusive in the field and difficult to establish in culture.  In April 2013, six P. diaphorinae females from Punjab, Pakistan emerged from parasitized Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae), in quarantine at the University of California, Riverside and were used to successfully found colonies.  This talk will present data on P. diaphorinae longevity, fecundity and parasitism rates, larval development at varying temperatures, and preferences for two hosts, Tamarixia radiata and Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis, both of which are biological control agents of ACP.