Development of the Polyembryonic Parasite Copidosomopsis tanytmemus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae)1

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Abstract
Copidosomopsis tanytmemus Caltagirone is a polyembryonic egg-larva parasite of Anagasta kuehniella (Zeller). The parasite undergoes holoblastic cleavage, producing a morula whose cells divide repeatedly to form a large mass of undifferentiated embryonic tissue. This tissue, the polygerm, gives rise to as many as 200 larvae. The larvae are dimorphic. Precocious larvae, which constitute ca. 10% of the larva brood, dissociate from the polygerm in as early as 7 days, are extremely motile, have deeply sclerotized mandibles and cranial structures, neither molt nor pupate, and invariably die as larvae. Normal larvae are formed from the polygerm ca. 25 days later, have small, weakly sclerotized mandibles, apparently undergo 4 instars, and consume most of the host's tissues. Normal larvae pupate within the host integument in individual pupal chambers; females emerge in 50 or 51 days, 3 days later than the males. The average brood size is 88 for females, 76 for males. There is an emergence mortality of 20% in female broods and 17% in male broods. Mixed broods are common under laboratory conditions. Adults ordinarily live to 10 days but can survive to 25 days in the laboratory on a diet of honey and water.