Author(s)

Muhammad Qammar Shahzad, Zain Ul Abdin, Saqi Kosar Abbas, Muhammad Tahir, Fiaz Hussain

Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Parasitization has an enormous impact on host physiology, development and reproduction. The effect of parasitism by endoparasitoid, Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) on survival and reproduction of mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) on different host stages was studied. Our data reveals that host mealybugs parasitized by the wasp at the 2^nd instar stage were died during the 3^rd instar stage of their life. However, those parasitized at the 3^rd instar stage could reach the adult stage and were able to produce their progeny. After 6 days of parasitization, all parasitized hosts of the 2^nd, 3^rd and adult stages were died except the 1^st instar. Results showed that parasitized host mealybugs had significantly lower reproductive potential than the unparasitized ones. Maximum parasitoid emergence was recorded in the 3^rd instar host stage. This basic research regarding survival and reproduction of the parasitized host mealybugs would be very helpful in devising sustainable biological control strategies for cotton mealybug.

Parasitization, Cotton Mealybug, A. bambawalei, Instars, Reproduction

Shahzad, M. , Abdin, Z. , Abbas, S. , Tahir, M. and Hussain, F. (2016) Parasitic Effects of Solitary Endoparasitoid, Aenasius bambawalei Hayat (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) on Cotton Mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Advances in Entomology, 4, 90-96. doi: 10.4236/ae.2016.42010.