A new substitute host and its effects on some biological properties ofOoencyrtus kuvanae

Abstract

AbstractLymantia dispar(L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), commonly known as the gypsy moth, is a serious forest pest, and beneficial insects are particularly important for reducing its population numbers.Ooencyrtus kuvanae(Howard) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is an arrhenotokous, solitary egg parasitoid ofL. dispar. In this study, we evaluated a new substitute host,Philosamia ricini(Danovan) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) forO. kuvanae. We investigated some of the biological effects ofO. kuvanaeonP. ricinieggs. In this context, the importance of the age of the female parasitoid (1, 3 or 5 days old), host age (1–2 and 3–4 days old) and host number (40, 60 and 80 host eggs) were examined under laboratory conditions (25 ± 1 °C, 65 ± 5% relative humidity and a 16 : 8 h photoperiod [light : dark]). The highest rate of offspring production (89.90%) occurred with 40 (1–2-day-old) host eggs and 5-day-old females. The mean developmental period ranged from 16.5 ± 0.08 days to 18.7 ± 0.08 days. The mean lifespan of the parasitoid was 51.10 ± 1.1 (n= 60) days with bio-honey and 3.92 ± 0.14 (n= 60) days without food. The mean fecundity was 68.88 ± 3.22 offspring/female. Peak adult emergence occurred between 2 and 9 days. The mean oviposition and mean post-oviposition periods of the female parasitoid were 22.76 ± 1.37 days and 13.64 ± 1.40 days, respectively.O. kuvanaewas reared for more than ten generations on the eggs ofP. ricini. Based on our findings,P. ricinican be used to rearO. kuvanaefor the biological control ofL. dispar.