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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Biological Control of Pests Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #246043
Title: Abridged life tables for Cephalonomia stephanoderis and Prorops nasuta (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) Parasitoids of Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) reared on artificial diet

Author
item Portilla, Maribel
item Grodowitz, Michael

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/21/2018
Publication Date: 3/1/2018
Citation: Portilla, M., Grodowitz, M.J. 2018. Abridged life tables for Cephalonomia stephanoderis and Prorops nasuta (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) Parasitoids of Hypothenemus hampei (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) reared on artificial diet. Journal of Insect Science. 18(2):1-7. doi:10.1093/jisesa/iey013.

Interpretive Summary: The economic value of coffee worldwide is about 15 billion dollars per year. The coffee berry borer is currently the most destructive pest in coffee plantations. Two African parasitoids Cephalonomia (C.) stephanoderis and Prorops (P.) nasuta were introduced in the American Continent for its control. For more than two decades these parasitic wasps have being equally treated, because their biology are broadly similar, produced and released using the same methods for both species; however, this investigation showed that the reproductive rate and intrinsic rate of increase of C. stephanoderis were much higher, giving a better understanding why C. stephanoderis has been more successful under laboratory and field conditions. The results of this investigation were used to improve the existing rearing method of C. stephanoderis and developed a new rearing system for P. nasuta.

Technical Abstract: Biological aspects and demographic parameters of Cephalonomia stephanoderis Betrem (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) and Prorops nasuta Waterston (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) parasitoids of the coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) were investigated using diet-reared CBB hosts. Developmental time from eggs to adults, oviposition, and postoviposition period were comparable for both parasitoids. However, P. nasuta had a considerably longer preoviposition and longevity period averaging 17.3 and 63.1 d, respectively. The reproductive rate for C. stephanoderis was 46.1 daughters per female with a mean generation time of 47.4 d, whereas P. nasuta had a reproductive rate of 18.3 daughters per female in a mean time of 58.6 d. Oviposition behavior was also different with C. stephanoderis typically ovipositing on CBB prepupae and pupae, while P. nasuta preferred prepupae and second-instar CBB larvae. An abridged cohort life table for both parasitoids was constructed for growth rates estimations.