A comparison of host diets on second and third generation of Habrobracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) based on life table characteristics

The effects of host diet were evaluated on the quality of a parasitoid as a biological control agent. The larvae of Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller) were reared on six different diets (Hordeum vulgare, Zea mays, Oryza sativa, Soja hispida, Triticum aestivum, S. hispida + T. aestivum) for five generations, subsequently were exposed to Habrobracon hebetor (Say) parasitoid. The demographic characteristics of H. hebetor were compared using an age-stage two-sex life table after three successive generations rearing on host with different diets. Testing was done under laboratory conditions at 26 ± 1°C with 65% ± 5% relative humidity and a 16L:8D photoperiod. The intrinsic rates of increase (r) of parasitoid were 0.229, 0.244, 0.205, 0.217, 0.269, and 0.281 d^-1 on host with different diets in the second generation, and r was 0.256, 0.229, 0.217, 0.257, 0.267, and 0.248 d^-1 in the third generation, respectively. The net reproductive rates (R0) were 137.42, 180.51, 93.123, 93.602, 238.61, and 291.11 on host with different diets in the second generation, and R0 was 227.534, 149.700, 105.121, 147.313, 230.523, and 147.648 offspring for parasitoid in the third generation, respectively. Also, the shortest mean generation time (T) were 21.393, 21.218, 21.900, 20.750, 20.261, and 20.129 d on host with different diets in the second generation, and T was 21.136, 21.809, 21.313, 19.351, 20.295, and 20.075 d in the third generation, respectively. According to the age-stage, two-sex life table, host feeding on wheat flour is more suitable for the mass rearing of H. hebetor parasitoid.