Densidade de fêmeas de Trichospilus diatraeae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) por pupa de Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Abstract

Density of parasitoid females affects their capacity to develop within the host. The number of Trichospilus diatraeae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) females per pupa of Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) was adjusted to study the effect of parasitoid production in the laboratory. Host pupae were parasitised by females of T. diatraeae at densities of 1:1, 7:1, 14:1, 21:1, 28:1 and 35:1 (parasitoid:host). The females of the parasitoid remained in contact with pupae for 24 h in glass tubes (8.5 × 2.5 cm), packed in a climatic chamber regulated at 25 ± 2ºC, 70 ± 10% relative humidity and light regime of 14 h. The percentage of parasitism and emergence of T. diatraeae on pupae of D. saccharalis was 100% in all parasitoid densities. The length of thr cycle (egg-adult) of Trichospilus diatraeae was 19.25 ± 0.22 days at a density of 1:1 and 17.00 ± 0.00 days at 35:1. The offspring number of T. diatraeae was 106.00 ± 12.38 and 514.67 ± 54.55 individuals per pupa at densities of 1:1 and 35:1, respectively. The sex ratio decreased with increasing density, ranging between 0.97 ± 0.01 and 0.89 ± 0.01 at densities of 1:1 and 35:1, respectively. The percentages of parasitism and emergence of T. diatraeae on pupae of D. saccharalis were not affected by the densities of female parasitoids. The densities of 14 to 21 females of T. diatraeae per pupa of D. saccharalis are suitable for rearing this parasitoid under laboratory conditions.