DEVELOPMENTAL RESPONSES OF GALLERIA-MELLONELLA (LEPIDOPTERA, PYRALIDAE) LARVAE TO PARASITISM BY A BRACONID PARASITOID, APANTELES-GALLERIAE (HYMENOPTERA, BRACONIDAE)

The parasitoid Apanteles galleriae (Braconidae) disturbed the developm ental process of its larval host Galleria mellonella. The effect was p articularly evident during the middle and late stages of larval develo pment of the host, irrespective of the host age at the time of parasit ism. The decrease in host weight gain occurred in the parasitized larv ae older than the 4th instar stage. The reduction in host head capsule width paralleled the decrease in weight gain. The duration of the fin al instar, was markedly prolonged. The ultimate instar of the parasiti zed host varied with the host stages at which the parasitoid oviposite d; when the host was parasitized at the 1st or 3rd instar, emergence m ostly occurred at the 5th instar. When the host was parasitized at the 4th to 6th instar, emergence was at the 6th instar. The parasitized h ost, in the ultimate instar, began wandering earlier than usual and sp un a cocoon. Shortly before the parasitoid's emergence from the host, an apolysis of the host occurred. But the overall morphology of the ne wly formed host was larval, i.c., the thoracic legs and ocelli were st ill present. The parasitoid seems to induce early pupating behavior of the host without metamorphosis to pupa.