Reproductive biology and fuctional response of Dineulophus phtorimaeae, a natural enemy of the tomato moth Tuta absoluta.

SAVINO, V.; COVIELLA, C.E.; LUNA, M. G.

JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE

UNIV ARIZONA

Lugar: Arizona; Año: 2012 vol. 12 p. 1 - 14

1536-2442

The tomato moth, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a major pest in South America, and it is at present an important invasive species in the Mediterranean Basin. The larval stadium mines leaves, stems and fruits and chemical control is by far the most used control method in both its original range and the invaded distribution regions. Since current T absoluta control strategies seem limited, biological control is a prominent tool to be applied abroad. The naturally occurring larval ectoparasitoid in Argentina and Chile, Dineulophus phtorimaeae (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), has been reported of potential biocontrol efficiency. We analyzed the ovigeny strategy along adult female lifetime and the functional response of D. phtorimaeae females offered a range of 2 to 15 T. absoluta larvae densities over a 48-h period. Mean D. phtorimaeae egg load was 4.15 eggs, and egg production resulted in extremely synovigenic behaviour meanwhile decreasing number of eggs was found due to resorption. Proportions of attacked (host-fed and/or parasitised) and only host fed hosts by the ectoparasitoid were density independent for the tested host range, exhibiting a type I functional response to T. absoluta, with an attack rate of 0.20 host larvae. Meanings of this reproductive strategy in evolutionary time as well as the consequences for augmentative biological control programs are discussed.