Article
Reproductive biology and functional response of Dineulophus phtorimaeae, a natural enemy of the tomato moth, Tuta absoluta
Fecha
2012Registro en:
Savino V, Coviella CE, Luna MG. 2012. Reproductive biology and functional response of Dineulophus phtorimaeae, a natural enemy of the tomato moth, Tuta absoluta. Journal of Insect Science 12:153.
Autor
Savino, Vivina
Coviella, Carlos E.
Luna, María G.
Institución
Resumen
The tomato moth, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is a major pest in South America
and is at present an important invasive species in the Mediterranean Basin. The larval stadium
mines leaves, stems, and fruits, and chemical control is the most used control method in both its
original range and the invaded distribution regions. Since current T. absoluta control strategies
seem limited, biological control is a prominent tool to be applied abroad. The naturally occurring
larval ectoparasitoid in Argentina and Chile Dineulophus phtorimaeae (Hymenoptera:
Eulophidae) has been reported to have potential biocontrol efficiency. In this study, the ovigeny
strategy of D. phtorimaeae was analyzed throughout the adult female lifetime, and the functional
response of females offered a range of 2–15 T. absoluta larvae was measured over a 48-hour
period. Mean D. phtorimaeae egg load was 4.15 eggs, and egg production resulted in extremely
synovigenic behavior. Meanwhile, a decreasing number of eggs, due to resorption, was found.
Proportions of attacked (host-fed and/or parasitized) and only host-fed hosts by the ectoparasitoid
were density independent for the tested host range, exhibiting a type I functional response to T.
absoluta, with an attack rate of 0.20 host larvae. Meanings of this reproductive strategy in
evolutionary time as well as the consequences for augmentative biological control programs are
discussed.