Plant Protection Bulletin (Taipei) (2005) 47, 87-101

C.C. Chien, S.C. Ku and S.C. Chang (2005)
Influence of temperature on the population increase and host-killing capability of Neochrysocharis formosa (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)
Plant Protection Bulletin (Taipei) 47 (2), 87-101
Abstract: The influence of temperature on both the population increase and host-killing capability of the eulophid wasp, Neochrysocharis formosa (Westwood) was studied at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C . Neochrysocharis formosa completed its development at between 15 and 35°C . In this temperature range, its survival rate was 90.5%-94.8% and the development period from egg to adult was 7.6-56.8 days. But its hatching rate was 0% at 10°C . A lower developmental threshold was estimated to be 13.0°C for development from egg to adult. Neochrysocharis formosa required 18, 44, 93, and 165°C -days, respectively, to complete the egg, larval, pupal, and egg to adult stages. When 40-50 third-instar larvae of Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) were provided daily for a pair of N. formosa between 15 and 35°C at 5°C intervals, a quadratic relationship between temperature and the total number of hosts killed was found. Accordingly, the maximum number of hosts killed was estimated to be 317 at 24.9°C . However, with wasps reared at 25°C during the immature stages and later transferred to 30 or 35°C after emergence, total numbers of hosts killed by the parasitism and feeding were 318 and 538 larvae, respectively. The linear relationship between temperature and the ratio of number of lifetime hosts parasitized over the number of lifetime hosts fed on was not significant, but the quadratic relationship between temperature and the proportion of female progeny was significant. The former ratio was 1.3-2.1:1 and the latter proportion was 0.44-0.61. At 20 and 25°C , the intrinsic rate of increase (r), net reproductive rate (Ro ), and mean generation time (T) were 0.1023 and 0.1815/day, 81 and 102 female progeny wasps/female, and 43.02 and 25.47 days, respectively. When adults were fed daily with pure honey only between 15 and 35 °C , a linear relationship was shown between temperature and longevity of females and males, and the estimated maximum longevity of females and males was 72.8 and 55.7 days at 15°C , respectively. For those provided with both pure honey and hosts, a quadratic relationship was shown between temperature and longevity of females and males, and the estimated maximum longevity was 22.0 days at 22.2°C for females and 11.1 days at 21.6°C for males.
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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.
	Liriomyza trifolii		Taiwan
Closterocerus formosus (parasitoid)	Liriomyza trifolii		Taiwan