First Record of the Egg Parasitoid Ooencyrtus pallidipes (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Larval Parasitoid Elasmus brevicornis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) on Banana Skipper Erionota torus Evans (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) from Malabar Region of Kerala, India

Erionota torus AUTHORITY? was first recorded in Kerala in 2014. Since then the pest has spread throughout the state. The larvae feed on all varieties of bananas, reducing fruit yields and preventing the traditional use of leaves for other purposes. The larva is a foliage feeder of banana which reduces the leaf area and bunch size of banana. In the present study for the first time, egg parasitism of E. torus by Ooencyrtus pallidipes (Ashmead), and larval parasitoid Elasmus brevicornis (Gahan) are reported from Malabar region of Kerala. The natural percent parasitism of egg parasitoid Oenocyrtus was 75+_7.5% and the percentage of parasitism of larval parasitoid E. brevicornis was 0.6 % in the banana field located at Payyannur, Kannur district, Kerala. Both parasitoids significantly influences the field population of E. torus. Since these two parasitoids have served as an effective biological control agent for E. torus in other previously reported countries, there is the possibility that they can also establish as a potential biological control agent in Kerala, india .