Abstract

Chouioia cunea Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) has been widely used for biological control of the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), in China. The yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), an important resource insect species distributed worldwide, is considered to be a potential alternative host for mass rearing of C. cunea to the Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi (Guerin-Meneville) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), which is currently used. In this study, we investigated the effects of host age on C. cunea mass rearing by measuring parasitism, development and adult fertility of C. cunea on T. molitor pupae of different ages. The results showed no significant differences in the percentage of parasitized hosts and developmental time of C. cunea in pupae of different ages. However, the number of C. cunea adults (137.2–154.7 adults per host) that emerged from 0, 1, and 2-day-old pupae was significantly higher than that from 4-day-old pupae. The lowest percentages of unemerged adults were found in 2-day-old (1.2%) and 3-day-old (1.4%) pupae, which were significantly lower than that of 4-day-old pupae (10.3%). The emergence of adult females from 0 to 2-day-old pupae (120.2–142.3 per pupa) was significantly higher than that from 4-day-old hosts (64.6). Adult females emerging from 2-day-old pupae carried significantly more eggs (258.2 eggs/female) than those from 0 and 1-day-old pupae (178.4–178.9 eggs/female). Our findings indicated that 2-day-old pupae of T. molitor were most suitable to rear C. cunea. Overall, this research provided valuable information to optimize pupae for the mass rearing of C. cunea on host T. molitor.

Highlights

  • Chouioia cunea Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) has been widely used for biological control of the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), in China

  • In China, the mass production of C. cunea is primarily via the Chinese oak silkworm, known as the tussah silkworm, Antheraea pernyi (Guerin-Meneville) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)[2,13], and approximately 325.54 billion C. cunea adults have been released to two-thirds of the H. cunea infested area (235,000 ha) in China in biological control programs from 1986 to 201212

  • Significant differences in percentage of deformed T. molitor were detected among different host ages (F4,15 = 3.44, P = 0.035)

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Chouioia cunea Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) has been widely used for biological control of the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), in China. The fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae), a polyphagous defoliating pest native to Canada, USA, and Mexico, has been reported invading in Europe (over 15 countries), Eurasia (Russia and Turkey), and Asia (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, China, Korea, and Japan)[1]. In China, the mass production of C. cunea is primarily via the Chinese oak silkworm, known as the tussah silkworm, Antheraea pernyi (Guerin-Meneville) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)[2,13], and approximately 325.54 billion C. cunea adults have been released to two-thirds of the H. cunea infested area (235,000 ha) in China in biological control programs from 1986 to 201212. It is essential to seek alternative host species for mass production and field application of C. cunea

Methods
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call