Reproductive biology of Holepyris sylvanidis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae)

Holepyris sylvanidis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) is reported as a cosmopolitan parasitoid of coleopteran including a major pest of stored products, the confused flour beetle Tribolium confusum. The reproductive biology, and hence biocontrol potential of H. sylvanidis is relatively little known. Here w...

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Main Authors: Amante, Marco, Schöller, Matthias, Hardy, Ian C.W., Russo, Agatino
Format: Article
Published: Elsevier 2017
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Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39359/
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author Amante, Marco
Schöller, Matthias
Hardy, Ian C.W.
Russo, Agatino
author_facet Amante, Marco
Schöller, Matthias
Hardy, Ian C.W.
Russo, Agatino
author_sort Amante, Marco
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Holepyris sylvanidis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) is reported as a cosmopolitan parasitoid of coleopteran including a major pest of stored products, the confused flour beetle Tribolium confusum. The reproductive biology, and hence biocontrol potential of H. sylvanidis is relatively little known. Here we describe and evaluate aspects of egg size, immature development, adult mating behaviour, pre-oviposition time, fecundity, host attack and use, and adult longevity. Our key findings are that ≈72% of presented T. confusum immatures presented to females were attacked and ≈39% of these were fed on destructively with the remainder oviposited onto. First instar host larvae and host pupae were only utilized for feeding, second and third instar larvae were commonly used for either feeding or oviposition while fourth, fifth and sixth instar hosts were almost exclusively used for oviposition. Females usually laid single egg clutches and their average lifetime fecundity was ≈16.5 eggs. Females regularly provisioned with hosts often ceased laying eggs up to several weeks before their death but continued to kill and feed on hosts during this period. Adult longevity was greatly enhanced by the provision of hosts (females) or by non-host food sources (males). We conclude that the inoculative biocontrol potential of H. sylvanidis is likely to be limited by a low realized fecundity and the combination with other control methods in an IPM-approach is needed. Its ability to find and kill hosts may make it more suitable for inundative deployment.
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spelling nottingham-393592020-05-04T19:58:17Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39359/ Reproductive biology of Holepyris sylvanidis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) Amante, Marco Schöller, Matthias Hardy, Ian C.W. Russo, Agatino Holepyris sylvanidis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) is reported as a cosmopolitan parasitoid of coleopteran including a major pest of stored products, the confused flour beetle Tribolium confusum. The reproductive biology, and hence biocontrol potential of H. sylvanidis is relatively little known. Here we describe and evaluate aspects of egg size, immature development, adult mating behaviour, pre-oviposition time, fecundity, host attack and use, and adult longevity. Our key findings are that ≈72% of presented T. confusum immatures presented to females were attacked and ≈39% of these were fed on destructively with the remainder oviposited onto. First instar host larvae and host pupae were only utilized for feeding, second and third instar larvae were commonly used for either feeding or oviposition while fourth, fifth and sixth instar hosts were almost exclusively used for oviposition. Females usually laid single egg clutches and their average lifetime fecundity was ≈16.5 eggs. Females regularly provisioned with hosts often ceased laying eggs up to several weeks before their death but continued to kill and feed on hosts during this period. Adult longevity was greatly enhanced by the provision of hosts (females) or by non-host food sources (males). We conclude that the inoculative biocontrol potential of H. sylvanidis is likely to be limited by a low realized fecundity and the combination with other control methods in an IPM-approach is needed. Its ability to find and kill hosts may make it more suitable for inundative deployment. Elsevier 2017-03 Article PeerReviewed Amante, Marco, Schöller, Matthias, Hardy, Ian C.W. and Russo, Agatino (2017) Reproductive biology of Holepyris sylvanidis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae). Biological Control, 106 . pp. 1-8. ISSN 1090-2112 Stored product Tribolium confusum Holepyris sylvanidis Mating Fecundity Longevity. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049964416302432 doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2016.12.004 doi:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2016.12.004
spellingShingle Stored product
Tribolium confusum
Holepyris sylvanidis
Mating
Fecundity
Longevity.
Amante, Marco
Schöller, Matthias
Hardy, Ian C.W.
Russo, Agatino
Reproductive biology of Holepyris sylvanidis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae)
title Reproductive biology of Holepyris sylvanidis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae)
title_full Reproductive biology of Holepyris sylvanidis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae)
title_fullStr Reproductive biology of Holepyris sylvanidis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae)
title_full_unstemmed Reproductive biology of Holepyris sylvanidis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae)
title_short Reproductive biology of Holepyris sylvanidis (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae)
title_sort reproductive biology of holepyris sylvanidis (hymenoptera: bethylidae)
topic Stored product
Tribolium confusum
Holepyris sylvanidis
Mating
Fecundity
Longevity.
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39359/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39359/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/39359/