Effects of Temperatures of Rearing on Reproduction of Aptesis basizona (Grav.) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

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Abstract
Aptesis basizona (Grav.), a parasite of pine sawflies in Europe, was propagated at Belleville, Ont. (Green, 1938) for release against the European spruce sawfly, Diprion hercyniae (Htg.), the European pine sawfly, Neodiprion sertifer (Geoff.) and other Diprionidae. Development of the insects in the laboratory was allowed to continue until feeding was completed and cocoons were spun, and was then retarded by placing the insects in cold storage pending shipment to release areas. Frequently stock for propagation was incubated after a period of cold storage, and occasionally the schedule was interrupted by decreases in the reproductive capacity of the adults. It seemed that there was some relationship between the fertility of the adults and the temperatures at which the immature stages were held, both while feeding and after they had reached the fully-fed stage. Experiments were initiated to investigate this hypothesis.