Preliminary report of a parasitoid wasp on Achaea serva in CoTo island, Quang Ninh province

Achaea serva is a serious insect pest of Pouteria obovata trees in CoTo island, Quang Ninh province, Vietnam. Its caterpillars feed on the host foliage and sometimes heavy damage results in complete defoliation and tree mortality. Biological control is an effective approach to suppress the population of A. serva. The present study provides information on a parasitoid wasp, which was found in A. serva larvae and pupae. Based on the morphological characteristics, our study preliminarily concluded that this parasitoid wasp belongs to the genus Glyptapanteles. The parasitism was more frequently observed in pupae than larvae, and the parasitism rate was higest in Mom Quan Y, followed by Hong Hai and Nam Dong. This finding would be helpful in the biological control programs of A. serva in CoTo island and other coastal provinces of Vietnam.