The potential of the solitary parasitoid for the biological control of the adult cabbage stem flea beetle, .

The cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB), L. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a major pest of oilseed rape, L. (Brassicaceae), within the UK and continental Europe. Following the withdrawal of many broad-spectrum pesticides, most importantly neonicotinoids, and with increased incidence of pyrethroid resistance, few chemical control options remain, resulting in the need for alternative pest management strategies. We identified the parasitoid wasp (Haeselbarth) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) within CSFB collected from three independent sites in Norfolk, UK. Parasitism of adult CSFB was confirmed, and wasp oviposition behaviour was described. Moreover, we show that within captive colonies parasitism rates are sufficient to generate significant biological control of CSFB populations. A sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 () gene was generated for rapid future identification. Moroccan specimens of (Loan), possessing 90% sequence similarity, were the closest identified sequenced species. This study represents the first description published in English of this parasitoid of the adult cabbage stem flea beetle.