Abstract
Microctonus hyperodae Loan (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a biological control agent of the pasture pest Argentine stem weevil (Listronotus bonariensis (Kuschel) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)). Two experiments compared the fecundity of laboratory reared M. hyperodae of known ecotypes to that of field collected parasitoids of unknown ecotype(s). In both experiments, the fecundity of field collected parasitoids was significantly lower than that of the laboratory reared conspecifics, probably due to differences in the ecotypic composition of laboratory reared and field collected parasitoids. Total fecundity of individual parasitoids was strongly correlated to their fecundity during their first 24-48 hours exposure to L. bonariensis. This observation indicated that there is potential to develop much less time consuming methods for measuring the fecundity of the various M. hyperodae ecotypes released in New Zealand.
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