First report of Arrhenophagus chionaspidis Aurivillius (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) on Aulacaspis tubercularis Newstead (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) in the Canary Islands

The white mango scale, Aulacaspis tubercularis Newstead (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) is an exotic pest that causes important economic damage in the Spanish mango crops. Prospecting for potential natural enemies, the parasitic wasp Arrhenophagus chionaspidis Aurivillius (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was first detected attacking immature male stages of A. tubercularis in Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) in 2022. Still, its influence on pest populations was not evaluated. This endoparasitoid was identified by its morphological characteristics and characterized for the first time by DNA barcoding of adult females using partial (651 bp) mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (mtCOI) gene (Genbank accession number OQ646824). Its potential utilization as biological control agent of A. tubercularis in mango crops is discussed. Therefore, further studies need to be conducted about its biology, population dynamics and rate of natural parasitism for the development of effective biological control strategies of A. tubercularis in mango.