Investigation of the longevity of adults of aphid parasitoids Lysiphlebus confusus Treamlay & Eady, L. fabarum (Marshall), and L. testaceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in different food environments

For the better control of the aphids, adult parasitoids belonging to Aphidiinae family need to feed with additional nutrients such as flower nectar and honeydew, which is produced by aphids from their habitat. Particularly, additional nutrition supply to adults is essential for a successful mass rearing of the parasitoids. The effect of additional nutrition on the longevity of Lysiphlebus confusus Treamlay & Eady, L. fabarum (Marshall), and L. testaceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) were investigated. The experiment was conducted using 10% sugared water, 20% sugared water, 10% honey, 20% honey water, honeydew which is produced by Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on the cotton plants, pure water, and without nutrition. The adults of L. confusus, L. fabarum, and L. testaceipes lived longer with sugared water and honey water than those without nutrient and pure water. When parasitoids were fed with 10% sugared water, the mortality rate was only 8% of L. confusus and 18% of L. fabarum and 10% of L. testaceipes end of the third days. The longest survival in the parasitoid species was generally observed for L. testaceipes, but the response to nutrients of the parasitoid was also different. 20% of the L. testaceipes individuals living with 10% honey water survived until the end of the 9th day. In the mass production of parasitoids, nutritional supplementation with sugared water has been shown to prolong the life of the parasitoids and it is thought that egg production will be positively affected