Cold Storage of Pupae of Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and its Effect on Key Biological Characters

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Authors

  • Department of Entomology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125004, Haryana ,IN
  • Department of Entomology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar-125004, Haryana ,IN

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18311/jbc/2014/3242

Keywords:

Aenasius bambawalei, Biological Parameters, Cold Storage, Mummies, Phenacoccus solenopsis, Temperature, Storage Duration.

Abstract

Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is a solitary nymphal endoparasitoid of Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), an important pest of cotton in Haryana. The present study on the effect of cold storage on some biological characteristics of A. bambawalei was carried out by storing one-day-old mummies of P. solenopsis (i.e. parasitoid in pupal stage) for 1 to 8 weeks at four storage temperatures viz., 5, 10, 15 and 20°C at 75 per cent relative humidity. Emergence of the parasitoid adults from mummies occurred within first week during storage at 20°C, hence, this temperature was judged unsuitable for cold storage. The parasitoid A. bambawalei could be stored for one week at 5°C and for two weeks each at 10 and 15°C, without any significant effect on emergence, longevity, fecundity and per cent females emerging in F1 progeny. At the above mentioned temperatures and durations these biological parameters of the parasitoid were comparable with the emergence (100%), longevity (19.60 and 33.20 days for males and females, respectively), fecundity (24.60 mealybugs parasitized per female in five days) and per cent females emerging in F1 progeny (63.12%) recorded in the control (27°C).