A rearing method forHeliothis armiger confertus, and its use for production of the parasitoidApanteles kazakand two insect viruses

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Abstract
Heliothis armiger confertus (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was reared on an artificial diet in the laboratory. Larvae and pupae were reared at 25±1°C and 18:6 (L/D) photoperiod, and adults were mated at an average of 20°C under natural light conditions. The average generation time was 38 days, with larval period 17.3 days, prepupal period 3.6 days, and pupal period 14.5 days. Other data are: average pupal weight - 9 401.5 mg, d 392.0 mg; average survival to pupa 84.9%; average survival to adult 65.4%; pre-oviposition period 2.7 days; fecundity 973 ± 121 eggs per female; adult lifespan approximately 12 days. The parasitoid Apanteles kazak (Telenga) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was reared for several generations using H. a. confertus larvae as hosts. It took, on average, 19.3 days from oviposition to cocoon formation, and 26.8 and 29.0 days for adult male and female emergence respectively. Only 25.9% of the host larvae produced parasite cocoons, and 74.1% of these produced adult parasitoids. Two Heliothis viruses were produced, with maximum yields for granulosis virus of 40 mg per larva and for nuclear polyhedrosis virus of 11.5 mg per larva.