Effects of Cold Storage on Host Antheraea pernyi Egg Quality for the Egg Parasitoid Anastatus fulloi Sheng and Wang

Abstract

Chinese silkworm (Antheraea pernyi) eggs are used as factitious hosts of Anastatus fulloi, and refrigeration of these eggs is essential for large-scale rearing of A. fulloi. We studied the effects of cold storage of A. pernyi eggs on egg quality and the fitness of A. fulloi reared on the eggs. Four cold storage treatments and two cold storage periods were assessed. The 0–3 °C refrigerator treatment was unsuitable for long-term (>70 days) storage. Cold storage at −5 °C and −18 °C increased the loss rate of A. pernyi eggs, but there was no significant difference between the control and 0–3 °C water bath treatment. The parasitism rate of A. fulloi was reduced when A. pernyi eggs were refrigerated for 6 or 12 months. There were no obvious differences in eclosion rate and percentage of females between control and eggs subjected to 6-month storage in 0–3 °C, −5 °C, and −18 °C water bath treatments. However, the eclosion rate and percentage of females decreased sharply when the storage period was 12 months. The overall eclosion rate of A. fulloi was reduced at the prolonged refrigeration time. Cold storage reduced host egg quality and their fitness suitability for A. fulloi. To minimize losses in the large-scale rearing of A. fulloi, A. pernyi eggs should be refrigerated in a 0–3 °C or −5 °C water bath treatment, and the storage period should not exceed 6 months.