LABORATORY STUDIES ON BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF ERETMOCERUS-DEBACHI ROSEAND ROSEN (HYM, APHELINIDAE) THE PARASITOID OF PARABEMISIA-MYRICAE (KUWANA) (HEM, ALEYRODIDAE)

The effects of three constant temperatures (20, 25, 30 + 1 degrees C) and two fluctating temperatures (25/35, 27/33 degrees C) on the preima ginal developmental time and the longevity of the parasitoid Eretmocer us debachi Rose and Rosen (Hym., Aphelinidae) that parasitized Parabem isia myricae (Kuwana) (Hem., Aleyrodidae) were studied in the laborato ry. In addition, laboratory experiments were conducted to study the ef fects of different diets on the longevity of the parasitoid. The gener ation time and the number of generation in a year were evaluated in a semi-field experiment. The preimaginal developmental time decreased si gnificantly with increase in temperature from 28.4 days at 20 degrees C to 12.0 days at 27/33 degrees C. Increasing temperature showed littl e effect on adult longevity, varying from 3.1 days at 20 degrees C to 3.7 days at 25 degrees C. Longevity was significantly shorter at the f luctuating temperatures (25/35 and 27/33 degrees C) compared to the co nstant temperatures. E. debachi herd on 10% saccharose solution lived significantly longer (3.4 days) than on any other five diets. Only sli ght differences were observed among honey dew, water or no diet, rangi ng from 1.2 to 1.6 days. In the semi-field experiment 13-14 generation s in a year were observed. The shortest generation time valuing 14 day s was observed during summer time at average daily temperatures betwee n 25.1 and 28.9 degrees C. A generation time of 145 days occurred in w inter (November-April) when the daily temperature averaged 10.8 degree s C. E. debachi hibernated in second P. myricae instars.