Biological control of fruit piercing moth (Eudocima fullonia [Clerck]) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the Pacific: Exploration, specificity, and evaluation of parasitoids

Adult fruit piercing moths (Noctuidae) are common pests of ripening fruit over much of tropical and subtropical Southeast Asia, Australia, and the western Pacific islands. Eudocima fullonia (Clerck), a target for classical biological control, occurs in that region including Papua New Guinea where it is not a pest and where it is thought to be controlled by natural enemies. Surveys conducted in Papua New Guinea revealed that two abundant egg parasitoids, Telenomus lucullus (Nixon) and Ooencyrtus sp. (Papilionis, species- group, Encyrtidae) were contributing up to 95% mortality of moth eggs. The host specificity of both parasitoids was studied in the laboratory by exposing them to eggs of related Noctuidae. T. lucullus was found to be specific to Eudocima spp. in the laboratory but Ooencyrtus sp. oviposited and developed on several non-target noctuid species in the presence of the moth host’s food plants. T. lucullus and Ooencyrtus sp. were assessed as adequately host specific for release in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and the Cook islands. However, the parasioids were not assessed with the nontarget E. iridescens (T.P. Lucas), a rare species from northern Australia unavailable for testing. The two egg parasitoids were released on Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, and the Cook Islands but were not released in Australia due to the inability to demonstrate adequate host specificity. T. lucullus and Ooencyrtus sp. both became established in Tonga and Fiji but only T. lucullus became established in Samoa and the Cook islands. After establishment of parasitoids increased levels of egg parasitism and declines in the abundance of target eggs occurred in Samoa and Tonga, and decreases in the abundance of the moths and its damage to fruit were observed in Fiji and Cook Islands. The methods for conducting surveys, host specificity testing and field evaluations are described.