Emergence Pattern of an Overwintering Population of Cardiochiles nigriceps1 in Central Texas 2

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Abstract
An overwintering population of Cardiochiles nigriceps Viereck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was studied in Central Texas in 1979–1980 in a plot of pigeon peas infested by a large, late-season population of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.). Emergence from overwintering started in early June, and no adults emerged after late June 1980. Overwintering C. nigriceps cocoons were collected from December 1979 through June 1980 and incubated at 26.7°C to determine the number of days required for adult emergence. Results indicated that adults had the potential to emerge from overwintering throughout the summer. In the field, however, predation of the cocoons by imported fire ants, coupled with an extremely dry summer that caused the soil to get extremely hard, interfered with the emergence of adult parasites over an extended period.