New Records of Eulophidae (Hymenoptera) Parasitoids Attacking Leaf-Rolling Moths on Fruit Trees

Abstract

Extensive faunistic surveys were conducted in fruit orchard ecosystems to document the diversity and distribution of eulophid parasitoids associated with leaf-rolling moths damaging fruit trees. Sampling was carried out across multiple orchard sites during different cropping seasons through collection of infested leaves exhibiting rolling and larval activity, followed by laboratory rearing of parasitoids from host larvae and pupae. Adult parasitoids emerging from leaf-rolling moth stages were examined using detailed morphological characterization, focusing on diagnostic features such as antennal segmentation, wing venation patterns, mesosoma structure, and coloration. Several species belonging to the family Eulophidae were identified, including multiple new distributional records associated with fruit tree ecosystems in the surveyed regions. Molecular characterization using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequencing supported species identification and clarified phylogenetic relationships among recovered taxa. The parasitoids were primarily associated with lepidopteran leaf-rolling pests infesting apple, pear, peach, and guava trees, where larval feeding causes leaf deformation and reduced photosynthetic activity. Seasonal abundance patterns indicated higher parasitoid emergence during periods of active host infestation under moderate temperature and humidity conditions. Variations in species composition were influenced by orchard management practices, host plant diversity, and pesticide application regimes. Orchard systems with reduced insecticide input supported greater parasitoid diversity and higher parasitism rates, highlighting their ecological importance in natural pest regulation. Certain eulophid species exhibited narrow host associations, while others parasitized multiple leaf-rolling moth species.