Initial assessment of an introduced polyphagous alysiine parasitoid which attacks the Australian bushfly.

Published online
01 Jan 1978
Content type
Journal article
Journal title
Journal of Applied Ecology
DOI
10.2307/2402926

Author(s)
Hughes, R. D. & Woolcock, L. T.

Publication language
English
Location
Australia & New South Wales

Abstract

In the summer of 1973-74, about 1.8 million adults of the parasite Aphaereta aotea Hughes & Woolcock were released at six sites in New South Wales. An attempt in 1975-6 to assess the early impact of the parasite on the abundance of Musca vetustissima Wlk. in coastal New South Wales is described. The initial level of parasitisation of natural larval infestations of M. vetustissima was not encouraging, but analyses of data on parasite attacks on experimentally infested cattle dung gives some hope of a measure of success. The ambient weather conditions at the times of the experiments seem important.

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