Comparison of the developmental time of Bracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) reared on five different lepidopteran host species and its relationship with digestive enzymes

In this paper, the effect of different lepidopteran hosts, Ectomyelois ceratoniae, Plodia interpunctella, Ephestia kuehniella, Helicoverpa armigera and Malacosoma disstria, on the biological parameters and digestive enzymes (α-amylase and proteases) of this parasitoid were investigated. The parasitoid performed better on stored product pests, such as E. kuehniella and P. interpunctella, than field crop pests, such as H. armigera and M. disstria. For example, in terms of percentage egg hatch, rate of development, off-spring sex ratio and adult dry mass Bracon hebetor did much better when it parasitized stored product insects than field crop insects (P < 0.05). Interestingly, the quality and quantity of the proteases and α-amylase of the parasitoid larvae parasitizing stored product and field crop pests differed. The greatest activity of these enzymes was recorded in the gut of those parasitoids that were reared on stored product insects (P. interpunctella and E. kuehniella).