PARASITISM OF A FACTITIOUS HOST, GALLERIA-MELLONELLA (LEPIDOPTERA, PYRALIDAE) BY AN ENDOPARASITOID - OVIPOSITION AND EMERGENCE OF MICROPLITIS-CROCEIPES (HYMENOPTERA, BRACONIDAE)

The effect of various diet supplements on the development of Microplit is croceipes in an atypical host, Galleria mellonella (Linnaeus), were evaluated, as were ovipositional responses to various factors. Female parasitoids were exposed to fifth instar G. mellonella in Petri dishe s containing the following treatments either separately or in combinat ion: a) Helicoverpa tea (Boddie) frass, b) 1% and 10% solutions of a h ost-seeking stimulant (13-methylhentriacontane), c) H. tea hemolymph, and d) H. zea hemolymph concentrated by freeze-drying. There were no s ignificant differences between hemolymph and frass + hemolymph treatme nts. The host-seeking stimulant alone also stimulated oviposition. The most effective combination was host-seeking stimulant and concentrate d hemolymph which induced oviposition rates comparable to that in the typical host, H. tea. Various diet supplements did not improve the dev elopment and Emergence of M. croceipes. We conclude that oviposition b y M, croceipes in the atypical host, G. mellonella, was significantly improved by the application of host-seeking stimulant and concentrated hemolymph, but the rate of adult parasitoid emergence was not increas ed by the addition of nutrient supplements to the host diet.