Aspectos biológicos do parasitóide Chelonus insularis (Cresson) (Hymenoptera, Braconidae) criados em ovos de Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

Abstract

Biological aspects of Chelonus insularis (Cresson, 1865) an egg-larval parasitoid reared on Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797) eggs Chelonus insularis (Cresson. 1865) has been cited in the international literature as a promissing biological control agent against the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797). Its field occurrence in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais (Brasil) has been increasing in the last years. For these reasons this experiment was conducted in the laboratory, at the National Corn and Sorghum Research Center, of EMBRAPA, under temperature of 25ºC. RH of 73% and photophase of 12 hours. Ten couples of the parasitoid were individually placed in a glass jar (5 liters capacity). They were fed on a 10% sugar solution. Each couple received one fall armyworm egg mass to oviposit during a 24-hour period. After hatching, the larvae were fed on artificial bean diet, up to the death caused by the parasitoid larvae. The total biological life cycle was 26.61 days on the average (larval period of 20.42 and pupal period of 6.19 days). The average weight of two days - old pupae was 0.02g. The adult longevity was on average. 10 days (8.4 days for males and 11.6 days for females). The greatest rate of parasitism occurred when the female was three days old, with a maximum of 92 eggs parasitized in that day.