Vol. 98, No. 5, November & December 1 987 211 NOTES ON ANACHARIS MELANONEURA (HYMENOPTERA: FIGITIDAE) AND CHARITOPES MELLICORNIS (HYMENOPTERA: ICHNEUMONIDAE) PARASITIZING MICROMUS POSTICUS (NEUROPTERA: HEMEROBIIDAE) 1 Ronald D. Cave, Gary L. Miller 2 ABSTRACT: Laboratory observations were made on the biologies of the figitid, Anacharis melanoneura, and the ichneumonid, Charitopes mellicornis, parasitizing a brown lacewing, Micromus posticus. Mean egg/larval and pupal developmental times of A. melanoneura were 11.2 and 6.6 days, respectively, at 28C. Mean larval and pupal developmental times of C. mellicornis were 5.7 and 5.5 days, respectively. The first C. mellicornis larva to hatch killed, but did not consume, the remaining eggs in the clutch and then fed upon the M. posticus larva. The brown lacewing, Micromus posticus (Walker), is a common, aphidophagous predator occurring throughout the eastern United States. Its use as a biological control agent has been proposed because of its potential for rapid population growth (Miller and Cave 1987). However, population growth could be slowed in the field by the predator's own natural enemies. The ichneumonid Charitopes mellicornis (Ashmead) is the only species listed as parasitizing M. posticus (Carlson 1979). Selhime and Kanavel ( 1 968) reported a species of the figitid genus Anacharis attacking Micromus subanticus (Walker), but not M. posticus, in Florida and provided brief notes on the parasitoid's biology. In an unsprayed cotton field in Alabama. Miller and Cave (1987) found 6% of the M. posticus cocoons were parasitized by C. mellicornis andAnacharis melanoneura Ashmead. Anacharis melanoneura ranges from Virginia to Florida and west to Louisiana and Texas (Burks 1 979). Our collection of this species is the first record in Alabama. According to Burks (1979), it is the only known Anacharis species in the southeastern United States. The only other reported host for A. melanoneura is Hemerobius stigma Stephens (Miller and Lambdin 1985). However, the Anacharis sp. found attacking M. subanticus by Selhime and Kanavel ( 1 968) may have been A. melanoneura since no other species of Anacharis are known in the region. Miller and Lambdin (1985) illustrated the larval, pupal, and adult stages of A. melanoneura. The known distribution of C. mellicornis is from Massachusetts to South Carolina and west to Minnesota and Iowa (Carlson 1 979). Our collection of Deceived March 30. 1987. Accepted May 11. 1987. ^Department of Entomology. Auburn University. AL 36849. ENT. NEWS 98(5): 211-216. November & December. 1987
BioStor
