LONGEVITY AND FECUNDITY OF BRACHYMERIA-LASUS (WALKER) (HYMENOPTERA, CHALCIDIDAE), A PUPAL PARASITOID OF THE ORIENTAL TEA TORTRIX, HOMONA-MAGNANIMA DIAKONOFF (LEPIDOPTERA, TORTRICIDAE) UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS

The life span of Brachymeria lasus (WALKER) adults fed on 10% sugar so lution was longer than those fed on 1% sugar solution and distilled wa ter. Although no mature eggs were found in the ovaries of newly-emerge d females, the mean number of mature eggs per female increased with ag e until 7 days after emergence with a maximum of 8 mature eggs. The me an preoviposition period was 4.7 days. The mean number of progeny per day produced by a single female fed on 10% sugar solution was about 6 for 5 weeks after emergence and decreased subsequently. The sex ratio of progeny was male biased and changed with age. No female progeny wer e observed at 13 weeks after emergence. The net reproductive rate and intrinsic rate of natural increase were 118.1 and 0.102, respectively, when females were fed on 10% sugar solution.