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Olfaction Response and Fertility Life Table Parameters of Tetrastichus howardi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) Parasitizing Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) and the factitious host Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

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Abstract

Tetrastichus howardi (Olliff) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) parasitizes the diamond back moth Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), but not much is known about its potential as a biocontrol agent. A rearing protocol has been established for this parasitoid on pupae of the factitious host Tenebrio molitor (L.) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), with the aim of releasing it in the field to manage several lepidopteran species. The potential population growth of a parasitoid can be measured through fertility life tables and provide supporting information for using T. howardi in the management of P. xylostella. Also, the fitness and behavior of T. howardi reared on a factitious host can be indicators of its potential to control P. xylostella. Thus, in this study, the fertility life table parameters of T. howardi parasitizing P. xylostella were determined, as well as the effects of the natal host on the behavior of T. howardi towards host volatiles and parasitism rate. The results showed that net reproduction rate (Ro) and the intrinsic rate of population growth (rm) of T. howardi parasitizing P. xylostella were 13.6 (♀/♀) and 0.124 (♀/♀*day), respectively, whereas the mean generation time was 20.9 days. Moreover, the natal host (T. molitor or P. xylostella) did not affect the fitness, parasitism rate, or olfactory response of T. howardi. In general, regardless of the natal host, parasitoid females responded to volatiles of both host species and exhibited the same rate of parasitism on P. xylostella. Therefore, T. howardi reared on the factitious host maintains its attraction and potential to parasitize P. xylostella, and can contribute to the biological control of this pest.

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Data from this research might be available upon request.

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Acknowledgements

Thanks to Dr. Jaimie Kenney from the University of California Riverside (UCR) for editing this manuscript.

Funding

The present research was supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—CAPES Foundation, granted to R. J. S. S. Moraes through the CAPES/PROEX, financial code 001.

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  1. Depto de Agronomia-Entomologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, PE, Recife, Brazil

    Rian Javé S. S. Moraes, Christian S. A. Silva-Torres & Jorge B. Torres

  2. Depto de Agronomia-Entomologia, Universidade Federal Dos Vales Do Jequitinhonha E Mucuri, MG, Unaí, Brazil

    Paulo R. R. Barbosa

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  1. Rian Javé S. S. Moraes
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  2. Christian S. A. Silva-Torres
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RJSSM collected, analyzed the data, and wrote earlier version of the manuscript. CSAST, PRRB and JBT conceived the idea and conceptualization, wrote-review and edited the manuscript. CSAST conceived supervision and funding acquisition. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Christian S. A. Silva-Torres.

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Moraes, R.J.S.S., Silva-Torres, C.S.A., Barbosa, P.R.R. et al. Olfaction Response and Fertility Life Table Parameters of Tetrastichus howardi (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) Parasitizing Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) and the factitious host Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Neotrop Entomol 52, 921–931 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-023-01068-8

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