Journal of Economic Entomology (2006) 99, 237-243

P.A. Eliopoulos (2006)
Life tables of Venturia canescens (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) parasitizing the Mediterranean flour moth (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
Journal of Economic Entomology 99 (1), 237-243
Abstract: Effects of temperature, adult feeding, and host instar on life table parameters of Venturia canescens Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) parasitizing larvae of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were studied in the laboratory. Experimental adults lived under various regimes of temperature (15, 20, 25, and 30°C), food supply (with or without access to honey), and host instar (second, third, fourth, and fifth). Temperature increase resulted in higher values of the intrinsic rate of natural increase (r _m ), the net reproductive rate (R _o ), the finite capacity of increase (lambda), and the gross reproductive rate (GRR), whereas it was followed by decrease of the mean generation time (G) and the doubling time (DT) values. Feeding on honey caused remarkable increase of r _m , R _o , and GRR, whereas r _m and lambda reached their maximum when full-grown hosts (fifth instar) were parasitized. This is the first time life table parameters of V. canescens have been studied. The findings of the current study are discussed on the basis of improving V. canescens performance as a biological agent against moth pests of stored products.
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Database assignments for author(s): Panagiotis A. Eliopoulos

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Ephestia kuehniella
Venturia canescens (parasitoid)	Ephestia kuehniella