Catolaccus grandis
Encyclopedia
Catolaccus grandis is a parasitic wasp
native to southeastern Mexico.
Its natural hosts are the boll weevil
(Anthonomus grandis) and the closely related Anthonomus hunteri. Its predation of the boll weevil, an economically significant pest of cotton
, has led to its use as a biological control
in the US.
Parasitic wasp
The term parasitoid wasp refers to a large evolutionary grade of hymenopteran superfamilies, mainly in the Apocrita. They are primarily parasitoids of other animals, mostly other arthropods...
native to southeastern Mexico.
Its natural hosts are the boll weevil
Boll weevil
The boll weevil is a beetle measuring an average length of six millimeters, which feeds on cotton buds and flowers. Thought to be native to Central America, it migrated into the United States from Mexico in the late 19th century and had infested all U.S. cotton-growing areas by the 1920s,...
(Anthonomus grandis) and the closely related Anthonomus hunteri. Its predation of the boll weevil, an economically significant pest of cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
, has led to its use as a biological control
Biological pest control
Biological control of pests in agriculture is a method of controlling pests that relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms...
in the US.