Hostname: page-component-6898cfcb55-kwdml Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-11T21:20:44.882Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Development of Eulophidae (Hymenoptera) parasitoids in Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) pupae exposed to entomopathogenic fungi

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 May 2016

C. Rossoni*
Affiliation:
Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e Ambientais, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, 79.804-970, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
F.F. Pereira
Affiliation:
Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e Ambientais, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, 79.804-970, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
S.O. Kassab
Affiliation:
Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, 79.804-970, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
A. Rodrigues
Affiliation:
Faculdade de Ciências Biológicas e Ambientais, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, 79.804-970, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
R.H. Barbosa
Affiliation:
Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, 79.804-970, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
J.C. Zanuncio
Affiliation:
Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-900, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
*
1 Corresponding author (e-mail: camilasrossoni@gmail.com).

Abstract

Palmistichus elaeisis Delvare and LaSalle, Tetrastichus howardi (Olliff), and Trichospilus diatraeae Cherian and Margabandhu (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) are promising candidates for the control of sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). The fungi Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Cordycipitaceae) and Metarhizium anisopliae (Metchnikoff) Sorokin (Clavicipitaceae) also can be used to control sugarcane borers plus leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) in sugarcane. This observation motivated us to investigate whether entomopathogenic fungi can affect biological aspects of these parasitoids. Diatraea saccharalis pupae (24 hours in age) were exposed to parasitism by three females of each eulophid species for 72 hours and then placed in small tubes. A contact surface treated with 1 mL of fungal suspension was placed inside each tube with the parasitised pupae at concentrations of 1×109, 5×109, or 10×109 conidia mL−1 of M. anisopliae and B. bassiana. Exposure to fungi reduced emergence of adult P. elaeisis, but not of T. howardi and T. diatraeae. Life cycle duration, progeny, and sex ratio of P. elaeisis were not affected by exposure. Exposure was associated with decreased longevity for both sexes of T. howardi and in males of P. elaeisis, but not at levels expected to affect their performance as biocontrol agents. In general, the exposure of eulophid species developing in pupae of D. saccharalis exposed to entomopathogenic fungi, did not compromise the biological aspects of these parasitoids.

Information

Type
Insect Management
Copyright
© Entomological Society of Canada 2016 
Figure 0

Table 1Biological aspects of Eulophidae parasitoids that emerged from pupae of Diatraea saccharalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) following exposure to various concentrations of Beauveria bassiana (Cordycipitaceae) and Metarhizium anisopliae (Clavicipitaceae).*