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Title: DEVELOPMENT OF ENCARSIA BIMACULATA (HERATY AND POLASZEK) (HYMENOPTERA: APHELINIDAE) IN BEMISIA TABACI (GENNADIUS) (HOMOPTERA: ALEYRODIDAE) NYMPHS

Author
item ANTONY, B - KERALA, INDIA
item PALANISWAMI, M - KERALA, INDIA
item KIRK, A - EBCL, FRANCE
item HENNEBERRY, THOMAS

Submitted to: Biological Control
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/2004
Publication Date: 5/1/2004
Citation: Antony, B., Palaniswami, M.S., Kirk, A.A., Henneberry, T.J. 2004. Development of encarsia bimaculata 9heraty and polaszek) (hymenoptera: aphelinidae) in bemisia tabaci (gennadius) (homoptera: aleyrodidae) nymphs. Biological Control. 1-10

Interpretive Summary: The sweetpotato whitefly is a major pest of cotton and food crops internationally. We studied a new potentially useful hymenopterous parasitoid from India for sweetpotato whitefly (SPW) biocontrol. Our results show that Encarsia bimaculata mated females lay eggs internally in SPW nymphs that developed as primary parasitoids. Males developed as hyperparasitoids, either in females of their own species or in other primary aphelinid parasitoids. Superparasitism was common under cage conditions. The parasitoids have an egg, three larval instars, prepupal, and pupal stages. Development from egg to adult was about 13 days for females and 5 days for males. Individual SPW nymphs examined for parasitization using esterase, malate dehydrogenase, and xanthine dehydrogenase isozymes, in each case, differentiated parasitized or unparasitized SPW nymphs with different banding patterns.

Technical Abstract: Encarsia bimaculata was recently described from India as a potentially useful parasitoid of Bemisia tabaci. Its developmental biology was studied in the laboratory at 25-30°C and 70-75% RH. Results showed that E. bimaculata is a solitary, arrhenotokous, heteronomous, autoparasitoid. Mated females laid eggs internally in B. tabaci nymphs that developed as primary parasitoids. Males developed as hyperparasitoids, either in females of their own species or in other primary aphelinid parasitoids. Superparasitism was common under cage conditions. Both sexes have an egg, three larval instars, prepupal, and pupal stages. Development from egg to adult took 12.70 ± 2.10 days for females and 14.48 ± 2.60 days for males. Individual B. tabaci nymphs were examined for E. bi maculata parasitization using three isozymes: esterase, malate dehydrogenase, and xanthine dehydrogenase. All three isozymes showed differential banding patterns that identified E. bimaculata parasitized or unparasitized B. tabaci nymphs.