Role of diet on longevity of an eulophid parasitoid Nesolynx thymus Girault
Aruna Ambadahalli Siddaiah and Manjunath Danagoudra
Predators, parasitoids and pathogens play an important role in pest management. Many parasitoids have been recommended as a biocontrol agents of pests. Unlike the immature sages, adult parastioids are free living and usually feed on nectar and honey dew in nature. Upon emergence the parasitoid need to locate feed for survival and suitable host in order to propagate. Reports are available emphasizing the importance of adult diet on the reproductive performance of many parasitoids. Adult diet is known to affect parasitoid lifetime reproductive success as it enhances adult longevity. In the present investigation an attempt was made to study role of adult diets on the longevity Nesolynx thymus. The results revealed that the parasitoids fed on honey survived longer (25.57 days) followed by sucrose (19.76 days), glucose (19.58 days), sugarcane juice (19.73 days) and jiggery (17.83 days).
Aruna Ambadahalli Siddaiah, Manjunath Danagoudra. Role of diet on longevity of an eulophid parasitoid Nesolynx thymus Girault. J Entomol Zool Stud 2019;7(1):194-197.