EFFECTS OF PARASITE DENSITY AND HOST AVAILABILITY ON PROGENY PRODUCTION BY BIOSTERES-(OPIUS)-LONGICAUDATUS, [HYM, BRACONIDAE], A PARASITE OF ANASTREPHA-SUSPENSA [DIP, TEPHRITIDAE]

Progeny production of B. (Opius) longicaudatus Ashmead, a larval-pupal parasite of the Caribbean fruit fly, A. suspensa (Loew) was affected by host availability, previous ovipositional experience, and parasite density and age. Parasitization rates were evaluated in 24.5 cm3 ovipositional cages at parasite densities of 25, 125 and 250 male-female pairs by exposing B. longicaudatus adults to 500 A. suspensa larvae for 24 h or ad lib host larvae for each of the 14 days following eclosion. The mean numbers of parasite progeny produced at the 25, 125 and 250 densities were 1076, 1896 and 2038, respectively. The number of progeny produced per surviving female parasite was inversely proportional to the adult parasite density and relatively more female progeny were produced as the adult parasites aged. Host mortality was significantly higher among parasitized larvae. Maximum rearing efficiency was achieved at the 125 density.