Platygastrids (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) parasitoids of Pentatomidae in Cordoba. Characterization of parasitoidized egg masses and biological aspects

Parasitoidized pentatomid egg masses belonging to five species - four phytophagous and one predatory - were studied. We also analyzed biological aspects of these (abundance and parasitism) and of their parasitoids (sex ratio and emergence): five species of Trissolcus Ashmead, Telenomus Haliday and Gryon Haliday. Field analysis of pentatomid egg masses provides exomorphological indicators to determine whether or not they are parasitoidized and, in some cases, to identify the emerging parasitoid. The high levels of parasitism recorded at both sites sampled - Marcos Juarez and the periurban area of Cordoba, suggest that oophagous parasitoids significantly affect Hemiptera populations in the soybean crop. The sex ratio of parasitoid species was strongly skewed towards females, and this was similar for each host with which they interacted. Emergence rates were more variable, depending on the parasitoid species, host and site. Multiparasitoidism was recorded in all species except for Nezara viridula L. Telenomus podisi Ashmead was detected in all cases, with T. podisi - Trissolcus . urichi Crawford being the most frequent.