Effective Biological Control Depends on Life History Strategies of Both Parasitoid and Its Host: Evidence from Aphidius colemani-Myzus persicae System

Mechanisms behind the success and failure of aphid biological control using parasitoids are largely unknown, probably because of the lack of knowledge of life history strategies of the insects involved. Here, we measured and compared life history strategies of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its parasitoid Aphidius colemani (Viereck) (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae), providing essential information for evaluation of the potential of A. colemani to control M. persicae. Our results show that one A. colemani female parasitized ≈220 aphids within 1 wk regardless of the aphid age. Almost all aphids parasitized at <4th instar died before reaching adulthood, and those parasitized at ≥4th instar produced very few offspring, contributing little to population growth. Although having 21% lower intrinsic rate of increase and 33% longer life cycle than the aphid, the parasitoid possessed reproductive output and net population growth rate twice as high as the aphid, and reached maximum lifetime reproductive potential 1 wk earlier than the aphid. The life history strategies reported here imply that A. colemani is potentially a good biological control agent of M. persicae. On the basis of this study, we hypothesize that immediately after the onset of M. persicae, a release rate of ≈1:220 (female parasitoid:aphids) at a weekly interval during the first 3 wk could effectively control the pest. We suggest that the success of biological control of aphids using parasitoids largely depends on life history strategies of both insects involved and time of the season when they meet.