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The leafrollers Argyrotaenia montezumae Walsingham and Amorbia sp. are tortricids associated with blackberry plants, in Michoacan, Mexico. In this study we analyzed and compared the abundance and diversity of parasitoids associated with these leafroller species in two commercial plantings in Los Reyes, Michoacan. A total of 1682 young leaves infested with leafroller larvae were collected, of these 994 specimens of four parasitoid species were obtained. The parasitoids were Chelonus sp. (41.6%), Apanteles n. sp. (34.2%), Colpoclypeus michoacanensis Sánchez & Figueroa (23.1%), and Bracon sp. (1%). Apanteles n. sp. recorded the highest percent of parasitism (26.9%) and it was also the species that appeared more frequently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apanteles nr. Aristoteliae (Viereck) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is an endoparasitoid of the leafroller Amorbia sp. (Lepdidoptera: Tortricidae) larvae. In this study, the life cycle, parasitism, sex ratio, and longevity of adults of this parasitoid were determined under laboratory conditions (22 ± 2 °C, 60 ± 5% relative humidity, and a photoperiod of 16:8h [light:dark]). The life cycle of this parasitoid was 42.45 ± 0.76 days. The duration of development stages of egg-larva, pupa and adult was 14.04 ± 0.05, 9.22 ± 0.07, and 19.36 ± 0.74 days, respectively. Each A. nr. aristoteliae female parasitized 73.33 ± 7.55 Amorbia sp. larvae. The sex ratio of FI generation was 95.1% males (n = 912). Longevity of adults was significantly different (U = 564, P = 0.01) between mated males (27 ± 2.55 days) and virgins (19.75 ± 0.70 days) but not (U = 182, P = 0.3) between mated females that were exposed to parasitization during all its life (26.4 ± 2.88 days), and virgins (23.13 ± 1.4 days). In order to obtain a better understanding about life parameters of A. nr. aristoteliae, future studies that include different rearing conditions (e.g., temperature and space) are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leafroller, Amorbia cuneana (Walsingham) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is recorded for the first time in blackberry (Ru-bus sp. cultivar "Tupi") in Rancho Huatarillo, Municipality of Peribán, in the state of Michoacán, Mexico. It is important to assess the damage that this insect may cause to the plants, in order to avoid the possibility that it reach the pest status in the later crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]