Bulletin of Insectology (2003) 56, 277-282

Augusto Loni (2003)
Impact of host exposure time on mass-rearing of Psyttalia concolor (Hymenoptera Braconidae) on Ceratitis capitata (Diptera Tephritidae)
Bulletin of Insectology 56 (2), 277-282
Abstract: The efficiency of the Psyttalia concolor (Szépligeti) - Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) mass-rearing system was investigated. A series of experimental parameters were fixed in order to reproduce in a small-scale, the mass-rearing conditions. Four different parasitization time exposure values were set to study the impacts of these parameters on the parasitization levels and on the parasitoid fitness. Larvae superparasitized with two eggs seemed to represent the most efficient strategy for parasitoid development, wehreas the clutch of 4 or more eggs resulted in a disadvantage for both the host and the parasitoid. Egg distribution patterns were analyzed and further justified with the Poisson distribution. A random egg distribution seemed the strategy adopted by the parasitoid during the 20 minutes host-parasitoid exposure time only. The significances of such kind of egg distribution are discussed.
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Database assignments for author(s): Augusto Loni

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Ceratitis capitata
Psyttalia concolor (parasitoid)	Ceratitis capitata