Research Professor Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro Saltillo, Coahuila de Zaragoza, México
The Southamerican moth Cactoblastis cactorum is a key pest for cactus species mainly in the Opuntia genus, its spread toward Northamerica is a seriously danger for the cactus biodiversity. The native and effective species of natural enemies (NE) of pests are desirables in a biological control program of exotic pests to avoid the introduction of NE from the origin of the pest which could attack species non-target at the introduction region. The objective in this work was to study the NE in the Central Mexico and others zones of Opuntia-feeding moths. A native parasitoid probably Apanteles mimoristae was collected parasiting the zebra worm, O. cf. nephelepasa in two periods of collect: September to November of 2019 and 2020 in the Central Mexico, this insect is relatively related to A. opuntiarum, the main NE of C. cactorum in Argentina. Their parasitism levels oscillated between 60 and 98%, in this region (the most important in production of prickly pear for being used as vegetable) this species apparently is the main NE at least, in the Central Mexico according to collects made in the present study. A new association could occurs between C. cactorum and this Apanteles species due to phylogenetic and ecological relationship of C. cactorum with O. cf. nephelepasa and A. opuntiarum; A. cf. mimoristae with A. opuntiarum.