Notes onApanteles congregatus (Say) as a Parasite of Tobacco Hornworms

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A. congregatus, a common parasite of certain sphingid larvae in the eastern half of the U. S., Brazil, Canada and Jamaica, has as its preferred host the tomato worm, Protoparce sexta. Oviposition usually occurs in the 2d and 3d instars of the larval host; the total life cycle under laboratory conditions during Sept. was about 17 days. An average of 112 parasite larvae was reared from each host in this laboratory; an average of 150 was reared under field conditions. This parasite passes the winter on the soil surface as a larva within its cocoon, emerging usually during Apr. and breeding on certain sphingid larvae until the main hosts appear. Both main hosts and the parasite reach their peaks of abundance in the late summer. Under field conditions heavy parasitization was observed on the main hosts that were feeding on tomato and other plants, but in, only one instance when feeding on dark-fired tobacco. 4 spp. of secondary hyper-parasites were reared from A. congregatus in Florida, Hypopteromalus tabacum Tennessee, Eupteromalus viri-descens, Horismenus fioridanus, and Pleurotropis sp.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: