Efecto de la Densidad en Ooencyrtus trinidadensis (Chalcidoidea, Encyrtidae) un Parásito Endófago de los Huevos de Rhodnius prolixus, Vector de la Enfermedad de Chagas en Venezuela

FELICIANGELI DE PIÑERO, D. Y J. RABINOVICH

REVISTA DO INSTITUTO DE MEDICINA TROPICAL DE SãO PAULO

INST MEDICINA TROPICAL SAO PAULO

Lugar: São Paulo; Año: 1977 p. 21 - 34

0036-4665

The effect of population density of Ooencyrtus trinidadensis. an endophagous parasite of the eggs of Rhodnius prolixus, was evaluated experimentally. A variable number of replicates were used of several female parasite densities and host eggs, both 0-48 hs old. All experiments were performed at constant temperature (28± 1DC) and relative humidity (50-60%). The density effect was evaluated by percent parasitism and progeny production, both per female and per host egg. Percent parasitism increases rapidly with parasite density, being more accelerated the smaller the number of host eggs available. There is a maximum in the number of hosts parasitized per female that shifts towards larger numbers of host eggs available with increasing parasite density, reflecting a strong interaction between parasite and host densities. This interaction is also seen with the reproduction curve. The results proved statistically significant with a one way analysis of variance. The overall density effects, that reflect both adult parasite interference and larval competition, suggest optimum proportions of parasites and hosts for massive rearing of O. trinidadensis for biological control releases.