Effect of Cold Storage on Development of Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Braconidae: Hymenoptera) Reared on Corcyra cephalonica Stainton (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Abstract

Habrobracon hebetor has been investigated as a successful biological control agent for larvae of pyralid moths in warehouses. Gaining new information on how to improve the storage procedure of H. hebetor under cold conditions could allow the development of approaches to maintain this parasitoid in pest management programs. This study investigated the effect of cold temperatures (10 and 15 °C) on the development of H. hebetor pupae reared on Corcyra cephalonica, which was kept for up to 3 weeks. Mortality of H. hebetor pupae during cold storage in all treatments was 4 - 19 %. Mortality of H. hebetor adults emerging during cold storage at 10 °C (28 %) and 15 °C (61 %) was significantly observed at 21 days of storage, while other treatments were less than 4 %. Numbers of emerging adults after cold storage from 7 - 14 days were 89 - 96 %, and the female percentage ranged from 13 - 39 %. The number of eggs laid per female from the emerging females after cold storage for 7 - 14 days was not significant as compared to the control treatment (43 - 53 eggs per female) after laying for 72 h. The sex ratios of emerging adults in all cold storages and the control treatment at 72 h after emerging were not significant.

Effects of cold storage after cold acclimation on the fitness of Habrobracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

“…Therefore, it is of great significance to store parasitoids using appropriate methods to improve their use as biocontrol agents. In biological control, in order to obtain sufficient natural predators to meet the release requirements, a large number of natural predators are generally obtained by batch rearing and low-temperature refrigeration (Chen et al 2013, Lü et al 2019, Noosidum et al 2020). Cryopreservation of natural enemies can provide a sufficient number at the time of release, which makes the mass rearing of predators more flexible and efficient and increases convenience for the transportation of insects (Tezze and Botto 2004).…”