Cold tolerance of Anagyrus vladimiri

Abstract: Anagyrus vladimiri Triapitsyn (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is used as a biological
control agent against several mealybug species and has recently gained attention as a potential agent against the invasive Pseudococcus comstocki (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). We measured the parasitoids cold tolerance to assess storage capability and survival during cold periods in the greenhouse and in the field. We acclimated parasitoid adults as well as eggs, larvae, and pupae within their host mummy gradually to cold, subjected them to varying periods of cold treatment and assessed their survival after re-acclimation.
Even though pupae had the highest cold tolerance, all developmental stages were strongly
affected by cold.
Based on the results we consider A. vladimiri a chill-susceptible species with very limited
cold-tolerance when individuals are obtained from the greenhouse or the rearing.