Biología de Eretmocerus mundus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), parasitoide del complejo Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), en condiciones de laboratorio

the estimation of biological attributes of natural enemies prior to its use in the field is an important tool in a biological control program. the objective of the present paper was to evaluate the main biological parameters of eretmocerus mundus mercet, a parasitoid of bemisia tabaci (gennadius), under controlled laboratory conditions. parasitoid survival, female longevity, fecundity, sex rate, intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm), net reproductive rate (ro) and generational time (t) were studied using life tables, with pepper (capsicum annuum l.) and tomato (solanum lycopersicum l.) as host plants. results obtained on pepper and tomato, respectively, were: pupal survival: 86.86 ± 1.94 and 83,45 ± 2,13%; female longevity: 18,19 ± 1,61 and 17,00 ± 0,92 days; sex rate: 0,34 ± 0,06 and 0,47 ± 0,05 female/(male + female); lx50: 21 and 18 days; rm: 0,226 ± 0,061 and 0,228 ± 0,057 parasitized nymphs/female/day; ro: 189,71 ± 24,25 and 154,65 ± 17,58 parasitized nymphs/female; t: 25,88 ± 0,42 and 24,03 ± 0,34 days. results lead to a better understanding of the local population of this parasitoid and its potential role as a biological control agent of b. tabaci.