Wild flower resources and insect honeydew are potential food items for Elasmus flabellatus

Abstract

Adult parasitoids need non-host food such as nectar or honeydew for survival and reproduction. In a conservation biological control strategy, the knowledge about non-host feeding of parasitoid species is a key factor to successfully increase their action. The nutritional behavior of Elasmus flabellatus (Fonscolombe) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a major parasitoid of the olive moth, Prays oleae (Bernard) (Lepidoptera: Praydidae), is completely unknown. Survival experiments were performed on two secondary olive pest honeydews and eight common flowering plant species in order to analyze their suitability as potential food sources for E. flabellatus females. Abdomen and gut dissections were carried out to verify the pollen consumption and the egg production. Floral architecture and insect morphology were described. Cox’s proportional hazard regression models were used to analyze the differences between parasitoid survivals. Honeydews secreted by Saissetia oleae (Olivier) (Hemiptera: Coccidae) and Euphyllura olivina (Costa) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) resulted in the best performance followed by the flowers of Malva sylvestris L. (Malvaceae), Daucus carota L. (Apiaceae), and the Cichorioideae Tolpis barbata (L.) and Andryala integrifolia L. Theoretical flower resources accessibility were assessed and related with the survival results. E. flabellatus females did not consume pollen and did not produce eggs, suggesting that the species is synovigenic and requires additional foods for egg production. In sustainable pest control programs, this novel knowledge is a promising opportunity for improving suitable food resources of E. flabellatus in the field.