Ectoparasite Habrobracon Hebetor Say Is an Efficient Biological Control Agent of Lepidopteran Pests

Federal Research Centre of Biological Plant Protection, Krasnodar, 350039, Russian Federation

^* Corresponding author: agasieva5@yandex.ru

Abstract

Ectoparasite Habrobracon hebetor Say is one of the most widely used biological controllers in biological plant protection against a number of harmful lepidopterans, including especially dangerous pests of corn, soy, fruit and vegetable crops. As a result of research conducted in 2017, food specialization and parasitic activity of three different populations of H.hebetor were studied. Two races have been identified for mass rearing and application: pyralid and leaf roller (against corn moth, bean pod borer, apple and plum moths), and pyralid owl-moth (against cotton moth, corn borer, bean pod borer and boxwood moth). As a result of studies of biological features and trophic needs, it has been determined that caterpillars of mill moth (Ephestia cuhniellia Zella) should be used as a host insect for laboratory cultivation of the stock population of the Habrobracon pyralid and leaf roller race (race No. 1). For the introduced from South Kazakhstan the H.hebetor pyralid and noctuid race the most productive rearing is on the caterpillars of large bee moth (Galleria mellonela L.). Optimal temperature for rearing of both races is 26-28 ° C, relative air humidity is 70% and photoperiod is not less than 16 hours. It has been noticed that before laying eggs on the host’s caterpillars, the Habrobracon female preliminarily paralyzes the victim, piercing the sheath with ovipositor. As a result, the caterpillar stops eating and is immobilized. In 3-4 days larvae hatch out of the laid on the caterpillar eggs. The larvae feed on the contents of the caterpillars for 4-5 days, then pupate and after 6-8 days an adult insect leaves the cocoon. The development of one generation lasts 13-16 days, one cocoon includes one parasite. 1,000 large bee moth caterpillars used for infection provide on average 5.8-6.0 thousand cocoons, of which an average of 4.5-4.7 thousand parasites fly out.