Influence of photoperiod on biology of Apanteles militaris (Hymenoptera; Bracon...

• Author(s): Oliveira, Luísa ; Melo, Rui ; Tavares, João
• Date: 1997
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/918
• Origin: Repositório da Universidade dos Açores
• Subject(s): Apanteles militaris WALSH; Photoperiod; Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth)
• Document Type: Conference Object
• Language: English

Description

Proceedings from the 6th European Workshop on Insects Parasitoids, Valencia, 1-4 March 1997. The effects of photoperiod on development time, longevity and progeny of Apanteles militaris (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) were investigated using Mythimna unipuncta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as host. Three groups of parasitized host larvae were exposed to 15.5±0.5°C of temperature, 75±0.5 of R.H. Each group was submitted to a different photoperiod, 8:16, 12:12 and 16:8 (L:D). Significant differences were found in the egg-larvae development time, pupal period and in the total development time. The adults longevity was higher and significantly different between 8:6 (L:D) and the others photoperiods. Concerning the progeny, the mean total and the mean number of cocoons per host did not differ significantly. However, the mean number of parasitoids that emerged from host larva but failed to spin a cocoon was significantly different between 8:6 and 16:8 (LD). Length of photophase did not significantly affect parasitoid sex-ratio but the emergence of adult progeny was different between 8 and 16 hours light.