Parasitism of Ferrisia virgata (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) by Anagyrus kamali (Hymenoptera: encyrtidae)

ABSTRACT

We analysed the impact of Anagyrus kamali on the survival and development of Ferrisia virgata, three stages (second and third-instar nymphs, and adult females) and five densities (1, 2, 4, 8 and 16), using the same treatments in the absence of the parasitoid as a control. In each assay, a parasitoid female was confined with F. virgata for 14 ± 0.9 days. A. kamali females can reduce the survival of F. virgata, inhibiting its development. Emergence of the parasitoid progeny was inhibited in the three developmental stages of F. virgata due to high mortality in the immature stages of A. kamali.

KEYWORDS:

• Reproductive capacity
• progeny
• nonreproductive effect
• mortality

Acknowledgements

We thank Francisco Javier Valle Mora for statistical data processing. Special thanks go to Francisco Infante for comments on the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).