Role of Parasitoids Associated with Galls Induced by Hemadas nubilipennis (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) on Lowbush Blueberry

Six parasitoid species attack galls of the chalcid Hemadas nubilipennis (Ashmead) found on the vegetative shoots of lowbush blueberry, Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton. The six species are Macroneura vesicularis (Ritzius) (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), Habrocytus sp. (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), Eurytoma solenozopheriae Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae), Ormyrus vacciniicola (Ashmead)(Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), Eudecatoma vacciniicola (Balduf) (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae), and Tetrastichus sp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Each species emerges from galls near the emergence period of H. nubilipennis and oviposits in immature galls. It is suggested that parasitoids do not feed on or kill the H. nubilipennis larvae before they are mature; therefore, parasitoids do not influence either the size or shape of attacked galls.