Behavior and generation times of Bracon brevicornis (Wesmael) (Hymenoptera:Bracondae) reared on Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Abstract

The ectoparasitoid Bracon brevicornis (Wesmael) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) attacks Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in dry bolls during the late cotton season 2018. Observations on the behaviors, some biological aspects and life table parameters of B.brevicornis were studied on two hosts pests; P. gossypiella and Galleria mellonella under the laboratory conditions. Larval duration of B. brevicornis was 5.3 and 6.1 days on P. gossypiella and Galleria mellonella respectively, and pupal durations was 5.4 and 5.5 days when reared on full grown larvae of P. gossypiella and 5th instar larvae of G. mellonella, respectively. The Sex ratio for females: male was 0.7: 0.3 when parasitoid reared on P. gossypiella, while, it estimated by 0.45 female: 0.55 male, when parasitoid reared on G. mellonella. Parasitoid female and male longevity when reared on P. gossypiella was 17.03 ± 1.5 and 11.94 ± 1.8 days, respectively, while it was 18.25 ± 0.3 days/female and 11.4 ± 0.9 days/male, when reared on G. mellonella. The generation time of B. brevicornis lasted 14.0 days when reared on P. gossypiella and increased to 15.7 days when reared on G. mellonella. The increased in time estimated by 1.7 days when reared on G. mellonella. Life table data; showed that the net reproduction rate (R0) was 90.017 and 41.781 when reared on P. gossypiella and G. mellonella in a single generation. The calculated biological parameters (R0, GT and rm) indicated that hosts of P. gossypiella seem to be more favorable host for development and multiplication of B. brevicornis than G. mellonella host.