First record of Coccinella septempunctata algerica (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) as host of Dinocampus coccinellae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Euphorinae) in Algeria

This study was conducted in fields in the Boumerdes region near Algiers, Algeria between April and September 2019. Two species of Coccinellini, Coccinella septempunctata algerica (Kovàr, 1977) and Hippodamia variegata (Goeze, 1777) were recorded as hosts of the parasitoid Dinocampus coccinellae (Schrank, 1802). The percentage of parasitism observed during the sampling was low. Our results suggest that D. coccinellae is not well adapted to Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773). This work shows that the parasitoid has a greater preference for C. septempunctata algerica than for H. variegata (16.7 % versus 2.2 % of parasitism). Given the low percentage of parasitism due to D. coccinellae, it does not seem that this parasitoid is able to reduce the effectiveness of biocontrol by ladybeetles. This is the first published record of Dinocampus coccinellae as a parasitoid of C. septempunctata algerica in Algeria.