Longevity of Cleruchoides noackae (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), an egg parasitoid of Thaumastocoris peregrinus (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae), with various honey concentrations and at several temperatures
Keywords:
biological control, laboratory rearing, EucalyptusAbstract
Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero and Dellapé (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae), damages eucalyptus plants by sucking their sap. This pest can be controlled by releases of the egg parasitoid Cleruchoides noackae Lin and Huber (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae). Increasing the survival of this parasitoid is critically important for its mass rearing in order to release large numbers in integrated programs to manage T. peregrinus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the longevity of C. noackae adults fed various honey concentrations at 6 constant temperatures. The longevity of C. noackae was studied by keeping adults in a 1st experiment with 100, 50, or 10% honey solution, with distilled water, or without water and food in climate-controlled chambers at 25 ± 2 °C, 70 ± 10% RH, and a 12:12 h L:D photoperiod and—in a 2nd experiment—with 100% honey at constant temperatures of 15, 18, 21, 25, 28, or 31 °C in a climatic chamber at 70 ± 10% RH and a 12:12 h L:D photoperiod. Each adult parasitoid was held individually in a glass tube capped with plastic wrap under the conditions described, and the survival of adults was recorded daily. The longevity of C. noackae varied with food and temperature such that longevity was enhanced by all honey concentrations and temperatures of 25 °C and below. When fed honey, this parasitoid lived 2 to 3 fold longer when kept at 15, 18, 21, and 25 °C than at 28 and 31 °C. Thus, the parasitoid C. noackae should be mass reared with honey at temperatures from 15 to 25 °C for subsequent distribution of parasitoid adults in eucalyptus plantations for suppressing T. peregrinus.
Resumen
Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero y Dellapé (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae) causa daños a plantas de eucalypto succionando su savia. Este insecto plaga se puede ser controlado mediante liberaciones del parasitoide de huevos Cleruchoides noackae Lin y Huber (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae). El aumento de la supervivencia es esencial para producir y utilizar el parasitoide en programas integrado para manejo de T. peregrinus. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la longevidad de adultos de C. noackae alimentados a diferentes concentraciones de miel en seis temperaturas constantes. La longevidad de C. noackae fue estudiada en un experimento por la alimentación con soluciones de miel de 100, 50, y 10%, agua destilada y sin comida, en cámara climatizada a 25 ± 2 °C, 70 ± 10% de humedad relativa y 12:12 h L: D de fotoperíodo y—en un segundo experimento—con el 100% de miel a temperaturas constantes de 15, 18, 21, 25, 28 y 31 °C en cámaras climatizadas con 70 ± 10% de humedad relativa y 12 h de fotoperíodo. Los adultos del parasitoide fueron individualizados en tubos de vidrio cubiertos con una envoltura de plástico en las condiciones descritas y su supervivencia se registró diariamente. La longevidad de C. noackae varió con el alimento y la temperatura, por lo que la longevidad fue realzada por todas las concentraciones de miel y temperaturas de 25 °C e inferior. El parasitoide alimentado con miel vivió 2-3 veces por más tiempo cuando se mantiene a 15, 18, 21 y 25 °C que a 28 y 31 °C. Por lo tanto, el parasitoide C. noackae debe ser criado con miel a temperaturas de 15 a 25 °C para la posterior distribución de parasitoides adultos en las plantaciones de eucalipto para la supresión de T. peregrinus.
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