Demographic parameters of Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) reared on Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae), Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), and Anastrepha fraterculus (Diptera: Tephritidae) puparia.

Abstract

Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani) is a solitary generalist pupal ectoparasitoid that parasitizes dipterans of various families and genera. This study aimed to evaluate Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), and Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) to determine the best host for the development and mass production of parasitoid P. vindemiae in the laboratory. The experiments were performed in air-conditioned rooms at a temperature of 25 ± 2 °C, relative humidity of 70% ± 10%, and photophase of 12 h. Moreover, 24-h-old pupae of A. fraterculus, C. capitata, and D. suzukii were provided daily to 25 pairs of the parasitoid. The following parameters were determined: percentage of parasitism, percentage of emergence, hind tibia size, sex ratio, and longevity. A fertility life table was established using biological data. Notably, P. vindemiae parasitized the pupae of all 3 hosts but did not affect the sex ratio of the offspring. Parental parasitoids from the pupae of A. fraterculus and C. capitata lived longer than those from the pupae of D. suzukii. However, for all other parameters, parasitoids from D. suzukii showed better performance than those from other hosts, with shorter intervals between generations (T) and a higher net reproduction rate (Ro), intrinsic rate of increase (rm), and finite rate of increase (λ).