USE OF HOST FRUIT CHEMICAL CUES FOR LABORATORY REARING OF DORYCTOBRACON AREOLATUS (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE), A PARASITOID OF ANASTREPHA SPP. (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE)

Doryctobracon areolatus (Szepligeti) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a common parasitoid of Anastrepha spp. (Diptera: Tephritidae). An efficient method of laboratory rearing incorporates chemicals from pear fruits into oviposition units. Production for the F1 and F2 generations was 12.1 and 9.3 progeny per female, respectively. Mean daily progeny production by F2 females was between 1-2 progeny per female for almost all ages from 9 to 22 days. A bioassay was designed to determine the source of chemical cues used for host location. Parasitoids were given a choice between two oviposition units: a positive control containing all possible cues, and a treatment unit with cues derived from either the host fly, host fruit, both, or none. The number of females active on each oviposition unit was recorded. This experiment demonstrated that chemical cues derived from the host fruit, probably the peel, are involved in host location.