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Title: DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARTIFICAL DIET FOR REARING EDOVUM PUTTLERI, AN EGG PARASITOID OF THE COLORADO POTATO BEETLE, LEPTINOTARSA DECEMLINEATA

Author
item Hu, Jing - Hu
item Gelman, Dale
item Rojas, Maria - Guadalupe
item Loeb, Marcia
item Lynn, Dwight
item BELL, R. - RETIRED USDA ARS

Submitted to: Entomology International Congress Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/10/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Edovum puttleri has been shown to effectively control Colorado potato beetle (CPB) populations on eggplant crops so that plant damage is kept below economic threshold levels. Since E. puttleri is unable to overwinter in temperate climates, yearly augmentative releases are necessary to prevent CPB damage. However, the current method for rearing E. puttleri using eggs produced by CPB reared on potato plants is not cost effective. A variety of semi-defined artificial diets have been developed and tested for their ability to support the in vitro development of E. puttleri. A diet containing high levels of hen egg yolk and egg homogenate and/or hemolymph prepared from Manduca sexta was able to support parasitoid development to the pupal stage. An extract of M. sexta pupal fat body tissue was able to replace the hemolymph component of the diet as was conditioned media prepared from cell lines of CPB embryos. The effects of 13 amino acids and 20 carbohydrates (in the absence of all insect components) on the growth and development of the parasitoid were also tested. Glutamine in combination with lactose or sorbitol, and threonine in combination with fructose, gentiobiose, glucose, lactose, sorbitol or trehalose (lactose or sorbitol were most effective) promoted pupation. Both glutamine and threonine were present in relatively high concentrations in 0-48-h-old (preferred time for parasitization) CPB eggs, with glutamine being present at 2 6 times higher levels than threonine. Proline, asparagine, serine, glutamic acid, lysine and tyrosine were also present in significant quantities, but were not effective in promoting pupation.