Searching Behavior of Pediobius furvus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) for Eoreuma loftini (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in Sugarcane

Abstract
The behavior of searching female Pediobius furvus Gahan and parasitism of Eoreuma loftini (Dyar) pupae are described from laboratory behavioral and field enclosure studies. P. furvus responded positively to larval tunnel openings and open moth emergence windows in sugarcane stalks as cues to host presence (45.7 and 76.8% of females, respectively). Larvae of the stalkborer E. loftini typically construct frass-filled larval tunnels and closed moth emergence windows, which prevent access by P. furvus under both laboratory and field conditions. When the epidermal covering of the moth emergence window was removed, parasitism by P. furvus was enhanced from 1.4 to 25.5%.

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