Life History and Host Preference of <i>Trichopria drosophilae</i> from Southern China, One of the Effective Pupal Parasitoids on the <i>Drosophila</i> Species

This study aims to evaluate several life-history traits of a <i>T. drosophilae</i> population from southern China and its parasitic preference of three <i>Drosophila</i> species. For mated <i>T. drosophilae</i> females, the mean oviposition and parasitization peri...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chuandong Yi, Pumo Cai, Jia Lin, Xuxiang Liu, Guofu Ao, Qiwen Zhang, Huimin Xia, Jianquan Yang, Qinge Ji
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-02-01
Series:Insects
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/2/103
Description
Summary:This study aims to evaluate several life-history traits of a <i>T. drosophilae</i> population from southern China and its parasitic preference of three <i>Drosophila</i> species. For mated <i>T. drosophilae</i> females, the mean oviposition and parasitization period were 27.20 and 37.80 d, respectively. The daily mean parasitization rate was 59.24% per female and the lifetime number of emerged progeny was 134.30 per female. <i>Trichopria drosophilae</i> females survived 37.90 and 71.61 d under host-provided and host-deprived conditions, respectively. To assess the potential for unmated reproduction in <i>T. drosophilae</i>, the mean oviposition and parasitization period of unmated females was 22.90 and 47.70 d, respectively. They had a daily mean parasitization rate of 64.68%, produced a total of 114.80 offspring over their lifetime, and survived 52 d. Moreover, <i>T. drosophilae</i> showed a preference towards <i>D. suzukii</i> based on the total number of emerged offspring under a choice test. Our findings indicate that <i>T. drosophilae</i> from southern China appears to be suitable for the control of <i>D. suzukii</i> in invaded areas, due to its reproductive potential.
ISSN:2075-4450