Abstract
Pimpla parnarae Viereck is a solitary pupal parasitoid wasp that attacks a variety of lepidopterans infesting rice. The suitability of a laboratory host, Galleria mellonella (L.), for P. parnarae and the realized wasp sex ratios were studied. Experiments were designed to quantify the effect of laboratory rearing on host suitability and wasp sex ratio. Host size had no effect on parasitoid production. Parasitoid production also did not differ among wasp generations. The proportions of male wasps decreased with host size. Although the overall sex ratio was male-biased regardless of wasp generations, the sex ratio obtained from laboratory-reared wasps was more female-biased than that obtained from wild-caught wasps in hosts of medium and large size. Most wild-caught females were inseminated, suggesting that unmatedness of wild females did not explain sex ratio differences among the generations. Factors causing the sex ratio change in P. parnarae under laboratory conditions are discussed.
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