STUDIES ON BIOLOGICAL-CONTROL OF THE BEAN-WEEVIL (BRUCHUS-CHINENSIS L) BY APANTELES-FLAVIPES (CAM) (HYMEN, BRACONIDAE)

Bean-weevil (Bruchus chinensis L.) is commonly found in Sind region of Pakistan and it severely damages Mong seeds (Phaseolus mungo L.), and some other pulses in storage conditions. The parasitoid Apanteles fla vipes (Cam.), a gregarious Braconid parasite of Bean-weevil was reared under laboratory conditions with a view to exploiting it for the biol ogical control techniques to be reported for the first time in Pakista n. This parasite completes its whole life cycle inside the body of the host by completing a number of generations in a year, and it successf ully parasitises Bruchus spp. larvae inside the seed body; and its Lif e cycle entirely depends upon the environmental factors like temperatu re and humidity as well as on the physiological condition of the host. It parasitised upto 45% in field population and 83% under laboratory conditions.