Biological control of the potato moth Phthorimaea operculella by the parasitoid Copidosoma koehleri.
The damage to potato by the gelechiid Phthorimaea operculella is described and the use of the parasitoid Copidosoma koehleri for the control of the gelechiid is evaluated. The morphology and biology of the parasitoid are described with illustrations and the background to its use around the world is briefly presented. A method for the mass rearing, release and evaluation of the effectiveness of the parasitoid is also presented. It was shown that adults of C. koehleri parasitized eggs of the pest for 4 days. The production costs for the parasitoid are also given.