How to translate text using browser tools
1 July 2014 Oviposition and Reproductive Performance of Habrobracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on Six Different Pyralid Host Species
Mukti N. Ghimire, Thomas W. Phillips
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Habrobracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a gregarious ecto-parasitoid that attacks larvae of several species of Lepidoptera, mainly pyralid moths infesting stored products. Host quality strongly influences the reproductive success of the parasitoid. In this study, we assessed the reproductive performance of the parasitoid, H. hebetor in a series of laboratory experiments using six different pyralid host species: Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), Mediterranean flour moth, Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller), almond moth, Ephestia cautella (Walker), rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton), navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella (Walker), and greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella L. Experiments were conducted using petri dishes (100 by 15 mm) as experimental arenas at 29 ± 1°C, 65 ± 5% relative humidity, and a photoperiod of 14:10 (L:D) h. Two-day-old H. hebetor females were introduced singly into experimental arenas and given a single host larva every day throughout their lifetime. The numbers of hosts paralyzed and parasitized, numbers of eggs laid each day on each host, egg-to-adult survivorship, and progeny sex ratio were used as parameters for assessing host suitability. Paralysis of hosts by H. hebetor females was significantly affected by host species. H. hebetor paralyzed >95% of the preferred host larvae that were offered and also used ≈90% of those for oviposition. Daily fecundity was highest on G. mellonella (22.1 ± 0.4) and C. cephalonica (21.6 ± 0.3), and lowest on E. cautella (13.4 ± 0.2). The egg-to-adult survivorship and progeny sex ratio were also significantly affected by the host species. The highest percentage of parasitoid survival was on A. transitella (75.7 ± 2.0) and C. cephalonica (75.4 ± 2.5), and lowest on G. mellonella (49.7 ± 4.8). Our studies clearly showed that H. hebetor females can paralyze and lay eggs on several pyralid species, but it cannot necessarily develop and reproduce optimally on all host species that it can paralyze and parasitize.

© 2014 Entomological Society of America
Mukti N. Ghimire and Thomas W. Phillips "Oviposition and Reproductive Performance of Habrobracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on Six Different Pyralid Host Species," Annals of the Entomological Society of America 107(4), 809-817, (1 July 2014). https://doi.org/10.1603/AN14046
Received: 19 March 2014; Accepted: 1 April 2014; Published: 1 July 2014
JOURNAL ARTICLE
9 PAGES

This article is only available to subscribers.
It is not available for individual sale.
+ SAVE TO MY LIBRARY

KEYWORDS
biological control
host quality
parasitoid
reproduction
stored-product pest
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top