POPULATION FLUCTUATIONS AND BEHAVIOR OF B UTTERFLIES (LEPIDOPTERA, LASIOCAMPIDAE) AND THEIR PARASITOIDS (HYMENOPTERA AND DIPTERA) IN THE AVOCADO TREE (PERSEA-AMERICANA)

This work describes population fluctuation, behavior and rate of paras itism in several stages of Lasiocampidae which attack avocado leaves. Thirty trees were randomly searched every 15 days, for one year. Eggs, larvae and pupae were observed in the laboratory. Three species attac ked leaves, Euglyphis rivulosa. Euglyphis fibra and Nesara drucei; the y were most frequent between April and August of 1990 and April of 199 1. E. rivulosa was abundant year round and was most attacked by parasi toids during development. Particularly, its eggs were parasitized by T elenomus sp. which was the most frequent and presented the highest per centage of occurrence. The larval stage of E. rivulosa was attacked by Microcharops anticarsiae, Apanteles sp. and Charops sp., while the pu pa had Brachymeria sp. and two other species of Tachiniae and Ichneumo nidae. E. fibra was parasitized only by M. anticarsiae. This is the fi rst mention of N. drucei attacking avocado leaves, and no parasites we re associated with it.