HOST RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE BEHAVIOUR IN BRACON HEBETOR (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE), PEST IN CORCYRA CEPHALONICA

R. RAGHAVI¹, W. BABY RANI²*, S.J. NELSON³, M. MUTHAMILAN^4
1Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu, India
²Department of Agricultural Entomology, Coastal Saline Research Centre, Ramanathapuram, 623503, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, India
³Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu, India
⁴Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu, India
* Corresponding Author : babyranirus@yahoo.com

Received : 02-05-2019     Accepted : 12-06-2019     Published : 15-06-2019
Volume : 11     Issue : 11       Pages : 8590 - 8594
Int J Agr Sci 11.11 (2019):8590-8594

Keywords : Bracon hebetor, Corcyra cephalonica, ethogram, host instar
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, 641003, Tamil Nadu, India for monetary support.
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

Bracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera : Braconidae), is a larval parasitoid of various lepidopteran hosts. It also acts as a menace in biocontrol laboratories by completely parasitizing the laboratory host Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton). A study was conducted to determine the effect of host instars of C. cephalonica on the parasitism behaviour of B. hebetor. A gravid female parasitoid was selected to study the host selection behaviour in different instar larva. Ethograms were constructed for the host parasitisation behaviour of B. hebetor on each instar of corcyra larva which illustrates the transition between the different behavioural events. The duration of each behavioural step was calculated. The results showed that the parasitoid showed significant ovipositional behaviour from the 3rd instar onwards and was the maximum in 6th instar. The duration of host acceptance between each instar differs significantly. The maximum duration was occupied by standing still irrespective of the instars.

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