Survival analysis and demographic parameters of the pupal parasitoid Coptera haywardi (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae), reared on Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae)

SEGUNDO NUÑEZ CAMPERO; OVRUSKI, SERGIO; MARTIN ALUJA,

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2012 vol. 61 p. 40 - 46

1049-9644

Coptera haywardi is an idiobiont pupal parasitoid of Tephritidae, and native to the Neotropical region. A survival analysis using a parametric survival .t approach was performed to generate survival curves and information relevant to mass rearing for augmentative biological control. Survival data for both male and female individuals were .tted to several distributions (Weibull, exponential, loglogistic, and lognormal), and the survival functions were described by means of distribution parameters selected a priori. Parasitism rates, adult parasitoid emergence rates, pre-oviposition and oviposition periods, sex ratio, longevity, and standard life table parameters were also determined. This study is an initial attempt to document the demography of C. haywardi reared on the damaging and economically important South American fruit .y Anastrepha fraterculus. The results of the study showed that C. haywardi reached _7% of daily parasitism, with a female mean lifetime survivorship of 32.52 days and a high net reproduction rate of 17.10. The demographic parameters found for C. haywardi were similar to those recorded for other fruit .y parasitoid species already used with positive results against Tephritidae in augmentative biocontrol programmes. We conclude that C. haywardi is potentially suitable for mass-rearing to be use in augmentative biological control programmes of A. fraterculus