Emergence Patterns and Dispersal in Chelonus spp. near curvimaculatus and Pristomerus hawaiiensis, Parasitic on Pectinophora gossypiella

Two Chelonus spp. near curvimaculatus Cameron, imported from Ethiopia for biological control of pink boll worm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), appeared to enter diapause with their host, overwintered, and spread their adult emergence with the host into early May. Both the Chelonus spp. and Pristomerus hawaiiensis Ashmead, imported from Hawaii, were highly vagile, dispersing widely in release fields. However, P. hawaiiensis did not diapause and could not overwinter, which helps explain this species'absence in subsequent years. The absence of the Chelonus spp. in succeeding years following releases may result from the lack of suitable host stages in springtime.