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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #99843
Title: IN VITRO REARING OF EDOVUM PUTTLERI: EFFECTS OF DIETARY AMINO ACID AND CARBOHYDRATE LEVELS

Author
item Hu, Jing - Hu
item Gelman, Dale
item BELL, ROBERT - RETIRED (ARS)

Submitted to: BARC Poster Day
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/1/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In vitro rearing of parasitic or predatory insects for augmentative release as biological control agents is a valuable alternative to the mass rearing of these beneficial insects on their hosts. In our laboratory, Edovum puttleri,an egg parasite of the Colorado potato beetle has been reared to pupal stage on an artificial diet containing insect materials Amino acids and carbohydrates have been reported to be crucial for growth and development of parasitoids. In this study twenty sugars and 13 amino acids were tested individually and in combination. In the presence of all 20 sugars or all 13 amino acids (each at a concentration of 1%), 100% of the parasitoids developed to the 2nd instar, 29% and 18%, respectively, molted to the 3rd instar, and 7.2% and 18%, respectively, reached the prepupal stage. When tested individually 8 sugars (cellobiose, fructose, gentiobiose, glucose,lactose, melinbiose, sorbitol, and trehalose) and 5 amino acids (arginine,glutamine, lysine, threonine, and valine) promoted development (>75%) to the 2nd instar and were selected for further study. At a concentration of 3%, fructose, glucose and gentiobiose promoted between 2.5 and 6.0% prepupal formation, and trehalose, lactose and sorbitol promoted between 12.3 and 20.4% prepupal formation. In the presence of all 8 sugars, 38.8 % prepupal formation was observed. When amino acids were tested individually at concentrations of 2 and 3%, threonine (2%) and glutamine and threonine (3%) promoted between 22 and 29% prepupal formation. Thirty - 36% prepupation was recorded when parasites were grown in the presence of all 5 of the amino acids, each at a concentration of 2 or 3%. Pupae (4-5%) were produced when wasps were reared on a diet containing 2-3% glutamine plus either lactose or sorbitol (1%).