TECHNIQUES FOR REARING TACHINID PARASITOIDS OF THE EUROPEAN EARWIG FORFICULA-AURICULARIA

Two European species of the family Tachinidae (Diptera), Triarthria se tipennis and Ocytata pallipes, whose larvae live as endoparasitoids of the European earwig (Forficula auricularia), were studied to develop experimental methods to improve laboratory production of the parasitoi ds. More than 84% parasitism was achieved by inoculating with larvae o f T. setipennis when earwigs were immobilized. Lower rates of parasiti sm were obtained when earwigs were mobile and could fend off attacking parasitoid larvae before they could penetrate the host. For O. pallip es, where the microtype eggs have to be eaten by the host, incubation of starved earwigs with food items carrying 3-5 parasitoid eggs result ed in 60% parasitism.