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Tradeoff Between Longevity and Fecundity in Relation to Host Availability in a Thelytokous Oophagous Parasitoid, Trichogramma brasiliensis Ashmead (Trichogrammatidae: Hymenoptera)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

B. Ramesh  and
S. Manickavasagam
B. Ramesh
Affiliation:
Biotech International Ltd., Bangalore, India
S. Manickavasagam*
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar – 608 002, Tamil Nadu, India
*
E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The biological hypothesis that female parasitoids can adjust their fecundity schedule according to host availability, and tradeoff longevity with fecundity was tested in a thelytokous oophagous parasitoid, Trichogramma brasiliensis Ashmead (Trichogrammatidae: Hymenoptera) parasitising the rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). The tradeoff between early and late reproduction revealed that this wasp was able to exploit practically all available hosts during the first day or first few days of adult life. During spells of host unavailability, it was able to adjust its fecundity schedule accordingly. There was a negative relationship between survival and reproduction. Adult females survived shorter (10 days) when an unlimited supply of hosts was present, but longer (16 days) when no hosts were provided. These observations suggest the potential suitability of T. brasiliensis for inundative releases even in conditions of fluctuating host availability.

Keywords

Trichogramma brasiliensislongevityfecunditytradeoffCorcyra cephalonicaTrichogramma brasiliensislongévitéféconditéadaptationCorcyra cephalonica
Type
Research Articles
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , September 2003 , pp. 207 - 210
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2003

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