ABSTRACT
Investigations carried out on the parasite-hyperparasite complex of the coconut
pest Opisina arenosella Walker indicate that the hyperparasites considerably reduce the
population of the parasites and thus lower the efficiency of the latter as biological control
agents. Over half the cocoons of the parasitoid Apanteles taragamae Vier., were parasitised
by the hyperparasites, with Aphanogmus manilae Ashmead accounting for 27.14 '/followed
by Meteoridea hutsoni (Nixon) (17.14/), Brachymeria nephantidis Gahan and Pediobius
imbreus (Walker) (2.86*/ each) and Eurytoma albotibialis Ashmead (1.42/.l P. imbreus
also caused 29.8 / parasitism on Bracon brevicornis Wesmael. Brief descriptions of the
biology of some of the hyperparasites are also given.