Mass-rearing biology of Fopius vandenboschi (Hym., Braconidae)

Abstract

Basic biological information concerning the reproductive activities of Fopius (Biosteres) vandenboschi (Fullaway) (Hym., Braconidae, Opiinae) were determined to facilitate insectary mass production. Mean (±SE) progeny production per generation (yield) of 200 ♀♀ F. vandenboschi was 6835.8 ± 433.2 and 3755.8 ± 112.4 parasitoids, with 24-h exposure to second instar Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), respectively. Ceratitis capitata as a factitious host was more sensitive to parasitism, producing a significantly higher percentage of uneclosed host puparia frequently containing parasitoid cadavers (22.5 ± 0.8%), than B. dorsalis (3.4 ± 0.2%). The overall mean production of female offspring was ≥50%♀♀ in both host species. Unlike several other opiine parasitoids, young (5-day-old) females of F. vandenboschi produced low proportion of daughters (26-37%♀♀) and significantly shifted production to female-biased offspring (53-71%♀♀) at older age intervals (16-30 days). Based on the parasitoid yield data with a 24-h exposure period to second instar host larvae of B. dorsalis, about 150 cage replicates (of 200 ♀♀ each) may be sufficient to mass produce about 1 million parasitoids of F. vandenboschi during the reproductive period of 5-30 days, with an average of 56% female offspring. A short oviposition exposure period of 6 h was not optimal for mass production of F. vandenboschi. Total yield at 6 h exposure was one-fifth the production at 24-h exposure, using B. dorsalis hosts.