Using Gamma Irradiated <i>Galleria mellonella</i> L. and <i>Plodia interpunctella</i> (Hübner) Larvae to Optimize Mass Rearing of Parasitoid <i>Habrobracon hebetor</i> (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

• Main Authors: Md. Mahbub Hasan, Lubna Yeasmin, Christos G. Athanassiou, Md. Abdul Bari, Md. Saiful Islam
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-07-01
• Series: Insects
• Subjects: <i>Habrobracon hebetor</i>; <i>Galleria melonella</i>; <i>Plodia interpunctella</i>; parasitism; biological control; gamma irradiation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/10/8/223

We evaluated possible improvements to the mass rearing of the larval parasitoid <i>Habrobracon hebetor</i> (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on irradiated host wax moth <i>Galleria mellonella</i> L. and Indian meal moth <i>Plodia interpunctella</i> (H&#252;bner) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae. The use of irradiated <i>G. mellonella</i> and <i>P. interpunctella</i> larvae at the dose of 150 Gy proved useful for enhancing the parasitism and adult emergence of <i>H. hebetor</i> due to the absence of negative repercussions on parasitoid development. Overall, parasitism was increased as the host larvae was irradiated with higher doses, while significantly higher parasitism was recorded at 150 and 300 Gy compared to lower doses. The female parasitoids preferred the irradiated larvae and significantly higher numbers of larvae were parasitized compared with non-irradiated larvae. The results also showed that irradiated larvae of <i>G. mellonella</i> served better as hosts for <i>H. hebetor</i> as compared with irradiated larvae of <i>P. interpunctella.</i> The implementation of these findings would be helpful for improving the mass production of parasitoids and the effectiveness of releases of biocontrol agents for the control of stored product pests.