| Summary: | Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is one of the most important biocontrol agents of insect pests in conducting IPM programs. In the present study, the effect of successive mass rearing by several generations on some biological parameters of H. hebetor was studied under laboratory conditions (28±2oC, R.H. 65±5 % & L:D (16:8)). The results of the analysis of variance showed that continuous rearing in different generations had a significant effect on all parameters (p<0.05). Eighth generation (G8) had the longest preadult stages longevity and the percentage of sex ratio with averages of 12.14 days and 66.48 (female / female+male), respectively. The longest oviposition period and highest female longevity with the averages of 18.88 and 21.88 days, respectively, was observed in the ninth generation (G9). The highest percentage of larval and pupal mortality was observed in the G1 with averages of 1.20 and 10.83%, respectively. The results also showed that the highest number of eggs laid (fecundity), pupal hatching, daily parasitism, and paralysis of larvae with averages of 14.24 eggs per female, 99.56%, 3.98 larvae, and 59.8 larvae, respectively, belonged to the fifth generation (G5). Finally, the results showed that mass rearing in continuous generations affected the biological parameters of H. hebetor and the fifth generation (G5) had the highest quality compared to other generations.
|
|---|