Evaluation of Tamarixia radiata survival on artificial diets

T. radiata is a parasitoid of Diaphorina citri (Asian Citrus Psyllid ACP) which is a notorious pest of citrus in most citrus producing regions of the world. Mass rearing and release of T. radiata is a management tactic being tested in our program and elsewhere. Food provided while holding T. radiata could be critical to maintain the wasp in optimal condition prior to mass release. However, there is no information in the literature to indicate the relative merits of different artificial diets for this purpose. Studies were conducted to evaluate the survival of T. radiata on different sugar types and concentrations. Multiple concentrations of honey, sucrose, fructose, and glucose were evaluated as a food source based on adult survival. Ten caged wasps 3-5 days old were fed ad libum and survival monitored for three weeks. Best survival was achieved with diets of 50% honey or sucrose.