Two braconid parasitoids, Fopius caudatus (Szepligeti) and F. ceratitivorus Wharton, oviposit into the egg stage of the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). Although, both parasitoids oviposit into the egg stage of the host, they exhibit several differences in oviposition behavior. These behaviors were compared to the well studied oviposition behavior of the egg-larval parasitoid F. arisanus (Sonan). Behavorial differences and the resulting implications for rearing in biological control programs are discussed.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Braconidae Fopius caudatus
Species 2: Hymenoptera Braconidae Fopius ceratitivorus
Species 3: Diptera Tephritidae Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly)
Keywords: Biological Control
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA