Environmental Entomology (1994) 23, 457-463
J. Michael Jones and Frederick M. Stephen (1994)
Effect of temperature on development of hymenopterous parasitoids of Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)
Environmental Entomology 23 (2), 457-463
Abstract: Investigations were conducted on effect of temperature on development of parasitoids of the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann. Coeloides pissodes (Ashmead), Dendrosoter sulcatus Muesebeck, Spathius pallidus Ashmead, Dinotiscus dendroctoni (Ashmead), and Heydenia unica Cook and Davis were studied in the field and at constant temperatures of 15, 20, 25, and 30°C in the laboratory. Development of parasitoids from egg to adult at field temperatures during August 1991 required ~2 wk for all species. The southern pine beetle requires ~1 mo to complete development at optimum temperatures. There was little difference in development times among these parasitoid species at 20°C. All parasitoid species required approximately twice as long to develop at 20°C than at the two higher temperatures. Males generally developed more rapidly than females at all temperatures. Survival of all species except D. dendroctoni decreased at 15°C. The greatest numbers of parasitoids were reared from study trees that contained an ~1:1 host-stage ratio of late instars to pupae.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Fred M. Stephen
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
