J. Biol. Control, 23(2):193-194, 2009 First report of hyperparasitoids of Anagyrus dactylopii (Howard) from India k. GoPaLakrIsHNa PILLaI, a. krIsHNaMoortHy and P. N. GaNGa vIsaLaksHy Division of Entomology and Nematology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bangalore 560089, India. E-mail: pillaig@iihr.ernet.in aBstraCt: two hyperparasitoids, Prochiloneurus aegyptiacus (Mercet) and P. testaceus (agarwal), were recorded for the frst time on Anagyrus dactylopii (Howard), a primary parasitoid of pink mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) infesting grapes at Bangalore, India. Hyperparasitism to the tune of 11% exerted by them could be detrimental to the primary parasitoid in countering the rate of increase of M. hirutus in vineyards. key Words: Anagyrus dactylopii, hyperparasitoid, Maconellicoccus hirsutus, Prochiloneurus aegyptiacus, Prochiloneurus testaceus. Pink mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) (hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) has been reported as a serious pest of grapevine in India (Manjunath, 1985; Mani and Thontadarya, 1987). Among the natural enemies of M. hirsutus, Anagyrus dactylopii (howard) (hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a potential indigenous parasitoid was found to parasitize the pink mealybug in grape vineyards in and around Bangalore (Mani et al., 1987). Generally, this parasitoid along with other predators could keep the mealybug population under check (Mani, 1989). In recent times, it has been observed that at certain critical crop stages, the mealybug was not effectively kept under control despite the presence of A. dactylopii in the feld. This was attributed to a possible lack of synchronization between the appearance of A. dactylopii and the occurrence of pest. In this context, a study was conducted to investigate the possible limiting factors of biological control of grape mealy bug by A. dactylopii. Selective sampling was done in a six-year-old vineyard where black seedless grape cultivar Arka Neelamani (Black Champa x Thomson seedless) was grown with all recommended package of practices at the Indian Institute of horticultural Research, Bangalore. Mealybug-infested plant parts of the grapevine (aerial roots, bark and berries) were taken at weekly intervals from bud burst stage in January till the harvesting of grapes in April 2008. Samples were brought to the laboratory and parasitized and unparasitized mealybugs were separated and counted. Parasitized mealybug larvae and mummies were kept on fresh grape plant materials (leaf / stem / berry) in ventilated plastic boxes at room temperature of 25 ± 2 o C. The boxes were checked daily for parasitoid emergence. All parasitoids which emerged were sorted, counted and preserved in 70% ethanol for identifcation. Maconellicoccus hirsutus accounted for virtually all the mealybugs collected from all parts of grapevines throughout the study period. The mealybugs undetectable under the loose barks in January made their appearance at low density once fowering started. Infestation level increased with the berry development. Initially the movement of the crawlers was observed from the loose bark to the growing tip of the aerial roots, where they completed one generation before moving to the berries. A total of 960 mealybugs were counted on aerial root, bark and berry samples collected during the study period. In the present study, 288 adults of A. dactylopii were reared from the mealybug samples which accounted for 30% parasitism and the level of parasitism appeared to be low compared to 60-70% parasitism reported earlier (Mani et al., 1987). Further, frequent colour variations among the parasitoids emerged raised the doubt of possible existence of hyperparsitoids. Detailed taxonomic studies of the parasitoids revealed that 36 such parasitoids which emerged from the mummifed mealybugs belonged to the genus Prochiloneurus Silvestri with a distinct bunch of hairs on the scutellum. Species of this genus are known to be hyperparasitoids of encyrtids and pteromalids and primary parasitoids of coccids, pseudococcids and coccinellids (Noyes and Hayat, 1984), and other records as primary parasitoids are probably erroneous. These hyperparasitoids which emerged from the mummifed mealybugs belonged to two different species, P. aegyptiacus (Mercet) and P. testaceus (Agarwal). Among them, P. aegyptiacus was the dominant one (28/36 hyperparsitoids emerged from the mummies held). This is the frst report of hyperparasitoids on A. dactylopii from India. Prochiloneurus aegyptiacus was reported as a hyperparasitoid of M. hirsutus (Abd-Rabou and hendawy, 2005). Studies in West Africa revealed that research Note