Laboratory Release Experiments of <i>Dastarcus longulus</i>（Coleoptera: Bothrideridae）, a Coleopterous Parasitoid of <i>Aromia bungii</i>（Coleoptera: Cerambycidae）

Laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the potential of Dastarcus longulus（Coleoptera: Bothrideridae）, a coleopterous parasitoid of cerambycid beetles, as a biocontrol agent of Aromia bungii（Coleoptera: Cerambycidae）. When first-instar parasitoid larvae were released onto A. bungii larvae and pupae in plastic containers, parasitism rates generally exceeded 80%. When parasitoid eggs were released onto wood infested with A. bungii, parasitism rates on larvae, pupae, and adults ranged from 57.1% to 70.6%. A parasitism rate of 66.7% was observed when eggs were released onto wood inoculated with host larvae. These findings indicate the ability of D. longulus as a biological control agent against A. bungii. The lower parasitism rates observed in infested wood compared with plastic containers are likely due to differences in host larval mobility and the behavioral traits of first-instar D. longulus larvae. In inoculated wood, the decay of host larvae beneath the bark resulted in few incidences of D. longulus adult emergence. Therefore, in field releases of D. longulus, which exhibits low host specificity, when the target is A. bungii larvae under bark, the likelihood of next-generation adults emerging and affecting non-target species is expected to be low.