The effects of host species on some biological characteristics of solitary endoparasitoid (Venturia canescens Grav.)

In this study, the effects of three host species on development time, fecundity and adult longevity of parasitoid Venturia canescens Grav. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) were investigated. Cadra cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were used as hosts for V. canescens. Host species had a significant effect on preadult development period of parasitoid. Development time was shortest on P. interpunctella, intermediate on C. cautella and longest on E. kuehniella. The fecundity of V. canescens was influenced by host species. It was higher on C. cautella and E. kuehniella larvae compared to P. interpunctella larvae. Feeding with honey increased the fecundity of parasitoid on all of the host species. For longevity experiments, adult parasitoids were provided by either honey and host, honey and no host, no honey and host, or they were fed on neither honey nor host for their lifetimes. Host species did not significantly affect the longevity of unfed females with no oviposition opportunity and unfed females with oviposition opportunity. However, it significantly affected the longevity of fed females with no oviposition opportunity and fed females with oviposition opportunity. Females without host access lived longest when fed on honey and shorter in the other host access/feeding treatments