Eupelmus (Eupelmus) urozonus Dalman (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) - a new egg parasitoid of Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) in Bulgaria

Based on samples collected in 2017 and 2024, Eupelmus (Eupelmus) urozonus (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) is recorded as a new egg parasitoid of Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) in Bulgaria. Seven male specimens of E. urozonus were reared from egg samples of the host: one specimen from Dabnitsa Village (Blagoevgrad Region; 2017), five specimens from Dobromirtsi Village (Kardzhali Region; 2017) and one specimen from Gorno Varshilo Village (Pazardzhik Region; 2024). Four primary and one secondary parasitoids (Anastatus bifasciatus, Baryscapus servadeii, Baryscapus transversalis, Ooencyrtus pityocampae and Trichogramma sp.) also emerged from the T. pityocampa egg batches with E. urozonus comprising only 0.1% of the parasitoid complex. The impact of egg parasitoids on host numbers varied between 18.7% (Dabnitsa Village) and 33.0% (Dobromirtsi Village).