Abstract
Observing the oviposition behavior of ingress-and-sting larval parasitoids of lepidopteran stemborers is difficult due to the cryptic feeding behavior of the hosts. A method for observing their oviposition behavior was developed. An individual stemborer larva was introduced into a glass tube (0.7cm in diameter; 7cm in length) which contained a piece of maize stem (0.5-0.6cm in diameter; 4-5cm in length). The larva was allowed 14-20h to feed on the maize and produce frass before introducing a single adult female parasitoid. Using this method, we observed the endoparasitoid Cotesia flavipes (CAMERON) and the ectoparasitoid Goniozus indicus ASHMEAD ovipositing on the pyralid stemborer Chilo partellus (SWINHOE). On contacting C. partellus larvae, C. flavipes females quickly stung them and immediately left the glass tube. G. indicus females paralyzed the hosts before ovipositing on them, and stayed with the hosts inside the glass tube for a few days after oviposition. After stung by either C. flavipes or G. indicus females, C. partellus larvae spat saliva and often aggressively bit the female parasitoids.
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