Abstract

Factitious hosts are largely used in parasitoid production. However, changes in parasitism capacity may happen when hosts are switched. Therefore, the ability of a parasitoid species to be reared on factitious host and still keep high level of parasitism on the natural target pest after successive rearing can determine parasitoid quality and must be investigated. Thus, we evaluated Telenomus remus parasitism on Corcyra cephalonica eggs compared with its natural host, Spodoptera frugiperda eggs, for different generations. After being reared on C. cephalonica, T. remus parasitism on S. frugiperda was evaluated to measure different T. remus biological parameters and parasitism capacity (parasitoid quality). Gradual increase in C. cephalonica eggs parasitized was observed over the generations, stabilizing on generation F₇. The number of parasitized C. cephalonica eggs was similar among generations (from generation F₇ to F₁₉). Taking the lifetime parasitism into consideration, parasitism capacity is similar from T. remus reared on S. frugiperda eggs from those reared on C. cephalonica eggs (generation F₁₉). When laboratory-produced T. remus on C. cephalonica eggs was exposed to the natural host, parasitism was higher on F₅ generation and stable from generations F₅ to F_19. Therefore, parasitoids did not lose their ability to parasitize eggs of natural host assuring good quality of the laboratory-produced parasitoid using C. cephalonica eggs as factitious host.

Key words: Spodoptera frugiperda, Corcyra cephalonica, pre-imaginal condition, egg parasitoid, biological control.