author(s)
Nilesh Suresh Shete and Pala Ram

abstract
The influence of host plants on parasitization of solenopsis mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley by Aenasius arizonensis (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was studied under screen house conditions. The experiment was carried out under two conditions viz., free choice and no-choice condition on six different mealybug host plants viz., Abutilon indicum (Linn.), Parthenium hysterophorus (Linn.), Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Linn.), Abelmoschus esculantus (Linn.), Solanum melongena (Linn.), and Gossypium hirsutum (Linn.). In both the tests, A. indicum was found to be the most preferred plant species for mealybug parasitization with 62.67 and 65.33 percent parasitism under free choice and no choice conditions, respectively. S. melongena was found to be least preferred plant species of the parasitoid as mealybug parasitization 42.62 and 48.00 percent under free choice and no choice conditions, respectively. Sex ratio was found female biased and non significant in both the conditions.