Laboratory rearing of the solitary egglarval para

Authors: Cem Ozkan

Publish Date: 2005/07/12

Volume: 79, Issue: 1, Pages: 27-

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Abstract

Plodia interpunctella Hübner Lepidoptera Pyralidae is recorded as a new factitious host for the solitary egglarval parasitoid Chelonus oculator Panzer Hymenoptera Braconidae A short biology and rearing method of the parasitoid on the new host were studied at 30±1°C 60–70 relative humidity with a photoperiod of 168 L D Chelonus eclosed from 7460 of parasitized hosts No significant difference was found between development times of male and female parasitoids Development of the parasitoid was completed in 2814±047 days in male and 2887±058 days in female However a significant difference was found between adult sizes of male and female parasitoids Adult dry mass was found 088±004 mg in male and 199±011 mg in female In addition C oculator was successfully reared from P interpunctella in twenty generations with the explained method Significant knowledge about biology of C oculator is still lacking However the parasitoid can be candidate for future research as a biological control agent against some important lepidopteran pests and P interpunctella may be suitable factitious host for mass rearing of C oculatorI am grateful to Prof Dr Ahmet Beyarslan Department of Biology Faculty of Natural Science Trakya University 22030 Edirne Turkey and Dr Mark R Shaw Department of Geology and Zoology National Museums of Scotland Chambers Street Edinburgh EH1 1jf England for the identification of the parasitoid Chelonus oculator Thanks are also extended to a graduate student Miss Hilal Tunca for her technical assistance during various phases of this study Department of Plant Protection Ankara University Faculty of Agriculture Sciences Turkey and to The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey for the grand Project no TOGTAG2679

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