Environmental Entomology (1988) 17, 977-982

F.J. Eller, D.G. Boucias and J.H. Tumlinson (1988)
Interactions between Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and a nuclear polyhedrosis virus of Heliothis zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Environmental Entomology 17 (6), 977-982
Abstract: Several possible interactions between the parasitoid Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and a Heliothis zea (Boddie) multiple-embedded nuclear polyhedrosis virus (HzmNPV) were investigated. Female M. croceipes did not transmit the HzmNPV from infected Heliothis zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to uninfected H. zea larvae via oviposition. For both unparasitized and parasitized H. zea larvae, percent virus-induced mortality decreased with increased host age at infection. Percent H. zea pupating and percent M. croceipes cocoon formation both increased with increased host age at infection for unparasitized and parasitized H. zea, respectively. Although parasitization did not decrease percent virus-induced mortality, it did increase the time to virus-induced mortality compared with that for unparasitized larvae. M. croceipes suffered high mortality when the HzmNPV killed the H. zea host larva before the parasitoid larva had completed its development. Parasitized larvae that escaped or overcame parasitism and then pupated took significantly longer to pupate than unparasitized larvae. Implications of virus-parasitoid interactions on the biological control of H. zea are discussed.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
(original language: English)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): James H. Tumlinson, Fred J. Eller

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Helicoverpa zea
Glabromicroplitis croceipes (parasitoid)	Helicoverpa zea
Helicoverpa zea single nucleopolyhedrovirus (entomopathogen)	Helicoverpa zea