Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-x5gtn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-08T02:04:16.562Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reproductive potential in the parasitoid Eupelmus orientalis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

G. Doury  and
D. Rojas-Rousse
G. Doury*
Affiliation:
Institut de Biocénotique Expérimentale des Agrosystèmes, Tours, France
D. Rojas-Rousse
Affiliation:
Institut de Biocénotique Expérimentale des Agrosystèmes, Tours, France
*
Institut de Biocénotique Expérimentale des Agrosystèmes, URA CNRS 1298, Avenue Monge, Parc Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Eupelmus orientalis (Crawford) (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) is a solitary ectoparasitoid of the larvae and pupae of West African bruchids. Since the biology of this species was unknown, studies were carried out on its reproductive biology. The age-dependent fecundity and offspring production of virgin and mated females of E. orientalis were determined under laboratory conditions at 33°C:23°C, 50%:80% r.h., L:D 12:12 on its host Callosobruchus maculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) during the first 15 days of the life cycle. No differences were found between virgin and mated females for any parameter. A study of the age-dependent fecundity and offspring production was also carried out under the same conditions over the entire life cycle of mated females. The resulting data were used to determine the longevity and reproductive potential of the species, particularly through the calculated life tables and estimation of the intrinsic rate of increase. With ten hosts per female per day, E. orientalis females had a mean longevity of 45.75±5.09 days. They laid an average of 219.91±39.08 eggs, parasitized 154.27±26.17 hosts, and produced 166.77±9.41 offspring, consisting of 80.46±14.10 males and 86.31±10.04 females. The total mean developmental time was 18.58±0.22 days for males and 20.03±0.21 days for females. The net reproductive rate (Ro) was 62.33 female progeny per adult female, and the intrinsic rate of population increase (rm) was 0.1389 per day. The generation time (G) was 29.76 days and the doubling time (DT) 4.99 days. These results constitute the first step to determine the potential of E. orientalis as an agent for the biological control of bruchidae, especially C. maculatus.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 84 , Issue 2 , June 1994 , pp. 199 - 206
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alzouma, I. (1987) Reproduction et développement de Bruchidius atrolineatus (Pic) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) aux dépends de cultures de Vigna unguiculata (Walp) (Leguminosae: Papilionacea) dans un agrosystème sahélien an Niger. Thesis, Université F. Rabelais, Tours, France.Google Scholar
Askew, R.R. (1971) Parasitic insects. 316 pp. London, Heinemann Educational Books Ltd.Google Scholar
Bellows, T.S., van Driesche, R.G. & Elkinton, J.S. (1992) Life table construction and analysis in the evaluation of natural enemies. Annual Review of Entomology 37, 587–614.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bigler, F. (1989) Quality assessment and control in entomophagous insects used for biological control. Journal of Applied Entomology 108, 390–400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cortesero, A.M., Monge, J.P. & Huignard, J. (1993) Response of the parasitoid Eupelmus vuilleti to the odours of the phytophagous host and its host plant in an olfactometer. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 69, 109–116.Google Scholar
Delanoue, P. & Arambourg, Y. (1965) Contribution à l'étude en laboratoire d'Eupelmus urozonus (Dalm.) (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 1, 817–842.Google Scholar
Germain, J.F., Monge, J.P. & Huignard, J. (1987) Development of two bruchid populations (B. atrolineatus (Pic) and C. maculatus (Fab.)) infesting stored cowpea (V. unguiculata (Walp)) pods in Niger. Journal of Stored Products Research 23, 157–162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huignard, J., Leroi, B., Alzouma, I. & Germain, J.F. (1985) Oviposition and development of B. atrolineatus (Pic) and C. maculatus (Fab.) (Coleoptera: Bruchideae) in V. unguiculata (Walp) cultures in sahelian zone. Insect Science and its Application 6, 691–699.Google Scholar
Jackai, L.E.N. & Daoust, R.A. (1986) Insect pests of cowpea. Annual Review of Entomology 31, 95–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krebs, C.J. (1985) Ecology: the experimental analysis of distribution and abundance. 3rd edn.New York, Harper and Row.Google Scholar
Lotka, A.J. (1907) Studies on the mode of growth of material aggregates. American Journal of Science 24, 199–216.Google Scholar
Monge, J.P. & Huignard, J. (1991) Population fluctuations of two bruchid species C. maculatus (Fab.) and B. atrolineatus (Pic) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) and their parasitoids Dinarmus basalis (Rond.) and Eupelmus vuilleti (Cwf.) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae, Eupelmidae) in a storage condition in Niger. Journal of African Zoology 105, 187–196.Google Scholar
Southwood, T.R.E. (1978) Ecological methods with particular reference to the study of insect populations. 2nd edn.358 pp. London, Chapman and Hall.Google Scholar
Terrasse, C. (1986) Mise en évidence et hypothèses de régulation de l'influence du stade de l'hôte. Callosobruchus maculatus (Fab.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), et de sa taille sur le taux sexuel d'un de ses parasitoïdes, Bruchocida vuilleti (Cwf.) (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae). Thesis, Université F. Rabelais, Tours, France.Google Scholar
van Lenteren, J.C. & Woets, J. (1988) Biological and integrated control in greenhouses. Annual Review of Entomology 33, 239–269.Google Scholar