POTENTIAL OF AN UNNATURAL HOST, GALLERIA-MELLONELLA (LEPIDOPTERA, GALLERIIDAE), IN REARING THE CORN-EARWORM ENDOPARASITOID MICROPHITIS CROCEIPES (HYMENOPTERA, BRACONIDAE)

Females of the endoparasitoid Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) oviposit ed in early 5th instars of an unnatural host, greater wax moth, Galler ia mellonella (L.), after they had been treated with hemolymph and fra ss from the natural host corn earworm, Helicoverpa tea (Boddie). Third -instar H. zea, similar in size to 5th-instar G. mellonella were used for comparison. Forty-one percent of the G. mellonella larvae were acc epted for oviposition, and 90% of 3rd instars of the natural host. Par asitoid cocoons weighed 8.30 +/- 0.34 mg (mean +/- SE) compared with 1 4.08 +/- 0.16 mg from H. ten. Adult emergence was 46.9 and 92.6% on C. mellonella and H. zea, respectively. The sex ratio of parasitoids rea red on G. mellonella (40% male to 60% female) was not significantly di fferent from parasitoids reared on H. zea (35% male to 65% female). F- 1 adults reared on G. mellonella were smaller than those reared on H. zea. When the Fl progeny of G. mellonella-reared parents were reared b ack on tile natural host, H. tea, the resultant adult parasitoids were of normal size.