Development and ring-testing of a standardized laboratory test for parasitic wasps, using the aphid-specific parasitoid Aphidius rhopalosiphi

Parasitic wasps are an important part of the non-target arthropod fauna within most crop systems and it is therefore necessary to understand the impact of plant protection products upon them. The largest group of primary parasitoids of aphids are the Aphidiinae, a subfamily of the Braconidae, with more than 400 species currently known. One species from this group, Aphidius rhopalosiphi (DeStefani-Perez), has previously been chosen as an indicator for determining the effects of products on parasitic Hymenoptera (European Standard Characteristics of Beneficial Regulatory Testing - ESCORT meeting; Barrett et al, 1994). Subsequently, through a joint initiative of Beneficial Arthropod Registration Testing (BART), European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO), Commercial Ecotoxicology Testing Group (COMET) and International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC), an Aphidus Experts Group was established to study the methods available for assessing the effects of plant protection products wasps. Over the past two years this group has evaluated various aspects of the ,ethods being used for both laboratory and ‘extended’ laboratory studies. It has established a database od results obtained from a large number of such studies and this has helped to improve our understanding of both the sensitivity anf the natural variability of the test system.