Mass‐rearing biology of Fopius vandenboschi (Hym., Braconidae)

Abstract

Abstract: Basic biological information concerning the reproductive activities of Fopius (Biosteres) vandenboschi (Fullaway) (Hym., Braconidae, Opiinae) were determined to facilitate insectary mass production. Mean (±SE) progeny production per generation (yield) of 200 ♀♀F. vandenboschi was 6835.8 ± 433.2 and 3755.8 ± 112.4 parasitoids, with 24‐h exposure to second instar Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), respectively. Ceratitis capitata as a factitious host was more sensitive to parasitism, producing a significantly higher percentage of uneclosed host puparia frequently containing parasitoid cadavers (22.5 ± 0.8%), than B. dorsalis (3.4 ± 0.2%). The overall mean production of female offspring was ≥50%♀♀ in both host species. Unlike several other opiine parasitoids, young (5‐day‐old) females of F. vandenboschi produced low proportion of daughters (26–37%♀♀) and significantly shifted production to female‐biased offspring (53–71%♀♀) at older age intervals (16–30 days). Based on the parasitoid yield data with a 24‐h exposure period to second instar host larvae of B. dorsalis, about 150 cage replicates (of 200 ♀♀ each) may be sufficient to mass produce about 1 million parasitoids of F. vandenboschi during the reproductive period of 5–30 days, with an average of 56% female offspring. A short oviposition exposure period of 6 h was not optimal for mass production of F. vandenboschi. Total yield at 6 h exposure was one‐fifth the production at 24‐h exposure, using B. dorsalis hosts.