Effect of Cold Storage on Development of Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Braconidae: Hymenoptera) Reared on Corcyra cephalonica Stainton (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Habrobracon hebetor has been investigated as a successful biological control agent for larvae of pyralid moths in warehouses. Gaining new information on how to improve the storage procedure of H. hebetor under cold conditions could allow the development of approaches to maintain this parasitoid in pest management programs. This study investigated the effect of cold temperatures (10 and 15 °C) on the development of H. hebetor pupae reared on Corcyra cephalonica, which was kept for up to 3 weeks. Mortality of H. hebetor pupae during cold storage in all treatments was 4 - 19 %. Mortality of H. hebetor adults emerging during cold storage at 10 °C (28 %) and 15 °C (61 %) was significantly observed at 21 days of storage, while other treatments were less than 4 %. Numbers of emerging adults after cold storage from 7 - 14 days were 89 - 96 %, and the female percentage ranged from 13 - 39 %. The number of eggs laid per female from the emerging females after cold storage for 7 - 14 days was not significant as compared to the control treatment (43 - 53 eggs per female) after laying for 72 h. The sex ratios of emerging adults in all cold storages and the control treatment at 72 h after emerging were not significant.

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Ectoparasite Habrobracon Hebetor Say Is an Efficient Biological Control Agent of Lepidopteran Pests

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202128503010 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 285 ◽

pp. 03010

Author(s):

Irina Agasyeva

Keyword(s):

Plant Protection ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Mass Rearing ◽

Control Agent ◽

Vegetable Crops ◽

Corn Borer ◽

Moth Bean ◽

Habrobracon Hebetor ◽

Leaf Roller ◽

Pod Borer

Ectoparasite Habrobracon hebetor Say is one of the most widely used biological controllers in biological plant protection against a number of harmful lepidopterans, including especially dangerous pests of corn, soy, fruit and vegetable crops. As a result of research conducted in 2017, food specialization and parasitic activity of three different populations of H.hebetor were studied. Two races have been identified for mass rearing and application: pyralid and leaf roller (against corn moth, bean pod borer, apple and plum moths), and pyralid owl-moth (against cotton moth, corn borer, bean pod borer and boxwood moth). As a result of studies of biological features and trophic needs, it has been determined that caterpillars of mill moth (Ephestia cuhniellia Zella) should be used as a host insect for laboratory cultivation of the stock population of the Habrobracon pyralid and leaf roller race (race No. 1). For the introduced from South Kazakhstan the H.hebetor pyralid and noctuid race the most productive rearing is on the caterpillars of large bee moth (Galleria mellonela L.). Optimal temperature for rearing of both races is 26-28 ° C, relative air humidity is 70% and photoperiod is not less than 16 hours. It has been noticed that before laying eggs on the host’s caterpillars, the Habrobracon female preliminarily paralyzes the victim, piercing the sheath with ovipositor. As a result, the caterpillar stops eating and is immobilized. In 3-4 days larvae hatch out of the laid on the caterpillar eggs. The larvae feed on the contents of the caterpillars for 4-5 days, then pupate and after 6-8 days an adult insect leaves the cocoon. The development of one generation lasts 13-16 days, one cocoon includes one parasite. 1,000 large bee moth caterpillars used for infection provide on average 5.8-6.0 thousand cocoons, of which an average of 4.5-4.7 thousand parasites fly out.

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Effects of cold storage on the biological characteristics of Microplitis prodeniae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485317000037 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 107 (4) ◽

pp. 506-512 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Z. Yan ◽

J.J. Yue ◽

C. Bai ◽

Z.Q. Peng ◽

C.H. Zhang

Keyword(s):

Cold Storage ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Cold Treatment ◽

Adult Emergence ◽

Control Agent ◽

Oviposition Period ◽

Emergence Period ◽

Field Release ◽

Lepidopteran Pests ◽

Female Longevity

AbstractThe endoparasitoid Microplitis prodeniae Rao and Chandry is an important potential augmentative biological control agent for lepidopteran pests of vegetables and tobacco. However, cold storage of pupae is required to ensure that sufficient parasitoids are available when they are needed in the field. In this study, pupae were maintained at 0, 4 or 10°C for 5–50 days after which the adults were evaluated for emergence, pre-emergence period, sex ratio, female longevity, oviposition period, and fecundity. Cold storage did not affect the pre-emergence period or proportion of females; however, there was a significant reduction in emergence, female longevity, oviposition period, and fecundity with increased exposure to cold. The pre-emergence period was approximately 5 days, and approximately 50% of the emergent parasitoids were females. A cold storage regime of 10 days at 10°C had no effect on the parasitoids and adult emergence was greater than 50% even after 20 days at 10°C. There was no carryover of the cold treatment from parental to F1 and F2 generations. Thus, M. prodeniae can be stockpiled for field release by exposing the pupae to a cold regime and subsequently holding them for adult emergence at 28°C.

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Mortality and life-tables of Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) compared on two host-plant species

Bulletin of Entomological Research ◽

10.1017/s0007485300018526 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 79 (1) ◽

pp. 7-18 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Hamish G. Robertson ◽

J. H. Hoffmann

Keyword(s):

Host Plant ◽

Biological Control Agent ◽

Larval Mortality ◽

Adult Mortality ◽

Control Agent ◽

Life Tables ◽

Related Factors ◽

Cactoblastis Cactorum ◽

Summer Generation ◽

Lepidoptera Pyralidae

AbstractThe performance of Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg) as a biological control agent of the cactus weeds Opuntia ficus-indica and O. aurantiaca was assessed by compiling life-tables for each host-plant, in both a summer and a winter generation, at a site in South Africa. Egg predation, mostly by ants, ranged from 54 to 74% and was significantly higher on O. aurantiaca than on O. ficus-indica. Larval mortality on O. aurantiaca was high during the summer generation (65%), possibly because of dehydration of cladodes. Survival on O. aurantiaca was 55 and 60% of that on O. ficus-indica in the summer and winter generations, respectively. Adult mortality, calculated from the life-tables, was 45 and 84% in the summer and winter generations, respectively. The most important components of mortality were natural enemies in the summer generation and weather-related factors in the winter generation. Host-plant-related mortality was not as great as was formerly supposed.

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