Reproductive and developmental parameters of Aenasius bambawalei (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) as affected by temperature

Abstract

The life table parameters of the parasitoid wasp, Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Hym.: Encyrtidae) were studied at 25, 30, and 35 °C, 65 ± 5% R. H. and 14L: 10D h. Third instar nymphs of Pseudococcus solenopsis Tinesly (Hem.: Pseudococcidae) were used as host for the wasp. Adult longevity and preoviposition period of female wasps were assessed and the raw data were analyzed using the age-stage, two-sex life table. According to the results, the total preovipostion period of females was 17 days at 25 °C and decreased to 13.07 days at 35 °C. The highest and lowest longevity was recorded for females at 25 °C (40.12 days) and males at 35 °C (3.71 days), respectively. The intrinsic rates of increase (r) of A. bambawalei were 0.1192, 0.1599, 0.2142 d-1 at 25, 30 and 35 °C, respectively. The net reproductive rate (R0) was calculated to be 38.04, 55.30, and 81.22 eggs/individual at 25, 30 and 35 °C, respectively. The mean generation time (T) of A. bambawalei ranged from 20.52 days at 35 °C to 30.52 days at 25 °C. Our results suggested that A. bambawalei may be a more efficient biological control agent for P. solenopsis at 35 °C than at 25 and 30 °C.

Keywords

• biological control
• chalcidoidea
• life table
• mealybug
• parasitism