Annals of the Entomological Society of America (1996) 89, 103-108

Prem Gupta, Charles R. Dillard and Stephen M. Ferkovich (1996)
Potential of an unnatural host, Galleria mellonella (Lepidoptera: Galleriidae), in rearing the corn earworm endoparasitoid Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)
Annals of the Entomological Society of America 89 (1), 103-108
Abstract: Females of the endoparasitoid Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) oviposited in early 5th instars of an unnatural host, greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (L.), after they had been treated with hemolymph and frass from the natural host corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). Third-instar H. zea, similar in size to 5th-instar G. mellonella were used for comparison. Forty-one percent of the G. mellonella larvae were accepted for oviposition, and 90% of 3rd instars of the natural host. Parasitoid cocoons weighed 8.30 ± 0.34 mg (mean ± SE) compared with 14.08 ± 0.16 mg from H. zea. Adult emergence was 46.9 and 92.6% on G. mellonella and H. zea, respectively. The sex ratio of parasitoids reared on G. mellonella (40% male to 60% female) was not significantly different from parasitoids reared on H. zea (35% male to 65% female). F₁ adults reared on G. mellonella were smaller than those reared on H. zea. When the F₁ progeny of G. mellonella-reared parents were reared back on the natural host, H. zea, the resultant adult parasitoids were of normal size.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Stephen M. Ferkovich

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
rearing/culturing/mass production

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Helicoverpa zea
Glabromicroplitis croceipes (parasitoid)	Helicoverpa zea		U.S.A. (SE)