Pre‐release risk assessment of the egg‐parasitoid Gryon pennsylvanicum for classical biological control of Leptoglossus occidentalis

Leptoglossus occidentalis Heidemann (Heteroptera: Coreidae) is a North American conifer seed pest that was accidentally introduced to Europe. In the Mediterranean area, it threatens the production of Pinus pinea Linnaeus seeds. The egg-parasitoid Gryon pennsylvanicum (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), the main natural enemy in the native range of L. occidentalis, was imported from British Columbia to Italy. Pre-release risk assessments were made under quarantine conditions by no-choice tests conducted with naive and experienced G. pennsylvanicum offering single eggs of target and non-target species for varying exposure times (1, 4, 48 h). G. pennsylvanicum successfully parasitized from 75% to 100% of the target host eggs. Only one female specimen of the egg-parasitoid emerged from a non-target egg (Gonocerus juniperi Herrich-Schaeffer, Heteroptera: Coreidae). Two dead female specimens were found, one inside an egg of Coreus marginatus (Linnaeus) (Heteroptera: Coreidae) and one in an egg of Camptopus lateralis (Germar) (Heteroptera: Alydidae). All three cases occurred at the longest oviposition exposure time. Results obtained with this conservative approach suggest that the risk to non-target species of releasing G. pennsylvanicum in Italy is low.