DEVELOPMENTAL EFFECTS OF HOST AND TEMPERATURE ON TELENOMUS SPP (HYMENOPTERA, SCELIONIDAE) PARASITIZING CHRYSOPID EGGS

Telenomus chrysopae (from California and New York) parasitized the sta lked eggs of five species of Chrysopidae (two Chrysoperla and three Ch rysopa) and the unstalked eggs of Anomalochrysa, a genus endemic to Ha waii. Although immatures from both populations of parasitoids exhibite d high developmental and survival rates in eggs of all the Chrysopa an d Chrysoperla species, variation in egg size among the host species ha d a direct effect on the size of the resulting adults. The two populat ions of T. chrysopae had similar responses to temperature, and many of these responses were shared with another chrysopid parasitoid, Teleno mus lobatus: (1) preimaginal survival was highest from 18.3 to 26.7 de grees C and decreased sharply below 18.3 degrees C; (2) lower developm ental thresholds were ca. 12 degrees C; and (3) no parasitoids complet ed development at 10 degrees C. However, at all temperatures tested, T . chrysopae developed faster than T. lobatus. We conclude that T. chry sopae may have a broader host association than T. lobatus and that it can produce more generations/season than T. lobatus. Thus, T. chrysopa e may have a substantial negative impact on biological control project s that involve Chrysoperla and Chrysopa species. Some of these negativ e effects could be mitigated by judicious timing of predator releases. However, to conserve the precarious endemic Hawaiian lacewing fauna, special care should be taken to avoid introducing Telenomus parasitoid s of neuropteran eggs into Hawaii. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.