The potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (šulc), has been detrimental to potato, tomato, and other solanaceous crop production in many countries. Management of B. cockerelli is dominated by frequent insecticide applications, but other approaches need consideration, including biological control. The sole arrhenotokous ectoparasitoid of nymphal potato psyllids is Tamarixia triozae (Burks) (Hyme...

The reproductive performance of the parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) against the moths Anagasta kuehniella Zeller and Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was studied in the laboratory. The analysis was based on the comparison of parasitoid's life table parameters related to those of its hosts at various conditions of host density (daily supply o...

Symbiotic microorganisms have had a large impact on eukaryotic evolution, with effects ranging from parasitic to mutualistic. Mitochondria and chloroplasts are prime examples of symbiotic microorganisms that have become obligate for their hosts, allowing for a dramatic extension of suitable habitats for life. Out of the extraordinary diversity of bacterial endosymbionts in insects, most are fac...

rearing methods for bracon hebetor (say) (hym., braconidae) were investigated in the series of laboratory experiments designed to enhance the yield of the mass rearing of this parasitoid for biological control of lepidopteran field and stored product pests. in these experiments, the effects of parasitoid and host densities on fertility and sex ratio of b. hebetor were assessed. in parasitoid de...

Selfish interests usually preclude resource sharing, but under some conditions collective actions enhance per capita gains. Such Allee effects underlay early explanations of social evolution but current understanding focusses on kin selection (inclusive fitness). We find an Allee effect that explains unusual quasisociality (cooperative brood care) among parasitoid wasps without invoking or prec...

Aggregation can confer advantages in animal foraging, defense, and thermoregulation. There is a tight connection between the evolution of insect sociality and a highly effective immune system, presumably to inhibit rapid disease spread in a crowded environment. This connection is less evident for animals that spend only part of their life cycle in a social environment, such as noneusocial grega...

Dinocampus coccinellae (Schrank) is a braconid parasitoid of ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and has exceptionally wide geographical host ranges. Based on published unpublished sources probably occurs throughout the temperate, subtropical tropical climatic zones, but some regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa (except its southernmost part) Malay Archipelago, have not so far been surv...

the effect of host diet on developmental time, fecundity and life-table parameters of bracon hebetor (say) (hymenoptera: braconidae) against the mediterranean flour moth ephestia kuehniella (zeller) was studied in the laboratory condition at 26 ± 1 °c, 65 ± 5% relative humidity and a photoperiod of 16l:8d h. the diets used were rice, barley, corn and wheat flours. the developmental time (egg to...

Polydnaviruses (PDVs) are symbionts of parasitoid wasps that function as gene delivery vehicles in the insects (hosts) that the wasps parasitize. PDVs persist in wasps as integrated proviruses but are packaged as circularized and segmented double-stranded DNAs into the virions that wasps inject into hosts. In contrast, little is known about how PDV genomic DNAs persist in host cells. Micropliti...