Abstract
The effect of host stage on parasitisation and biological characteristics of Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a parasitoid of Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, was studied under laboratory conditions at 26-31°C and 46-73.6 per cent relative humidity. Mealybugs were reared on sprouted potato tubers and different stages of the pest were used in the host preference studies. Third instar and pre-reproductive adult females of the pest were most preferred by A. bambawalei for parasitization both under choice and no-choice conditions. First instars were not parasitized. Development of both male and female A. bambawalei was faster in large sized hosts (adult females). There was no significant difference in the adult emergence from different host stages. Emergence of adults from different stages ranged from 87.15 to 93.49 per cent. Maximum (73.39%) females emerged from reproductive adult females as compared to other stages of the pest. Parasitoid progeny emerging from second instar hosts consisted mostly (91.23%) of males.
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