Environmental Entomology (1995) 24, 1322-1327

S.M. Greenberg, J.A. Morales-Ramos, E.G. King, K.R. Summy and M.G. Rojas (1995)
Biological parameters for mass propagation of Catolaccus grandis (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)
Environmental Entomology 24 (5), 1322-1327
Abstract: We studied the influences of mating history, parental age, pupal weight of parasitoids, host deprivation, and host size on the reproductive potential and sex ratio of Catolaccus grandis (Burks), a parasitoid of the boll weevil Anthonomus grandis grandis (Boheman). Absence of hosts for 5 or 10 d reduced the fecundity of C. grandis females by 36.8 and 39.5%, respectively, compared with parasitoids continually exposed to host larvae. An acceptable sex ratio (65% females) in the propagation system was maintained if a ratio of 3 males per female parasitoid was used during the 1st h of mating, immediately after emergence. As female adults aged from 5 to 10 d, the percentage of female progeny increased from 64.0 to 77.2, respectively. However, a further increase in female age, from 20 to 25 d, resulted in a decline in percentage of female progeny from 54.0 to 48.5. The proportion of female progeny increased with the size of the host parasitized. A significant correlation was found between weight of female pupae of C. grandis and their fecundity during the first 30 d of oviposition. These data will be used to optimize mass rearing of C. grandis for inoculative and augmentative releases to suppress boll weevil populations in cotton fields.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Juan A. Morales-Ramos, Shoil M. Greenberg

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Anthonomus grandis
Catolaccus grandis (parasitoid)	Anthonomus grandis