. Parasitism of Hypothenemus hampei adults by Phymastichus coffea (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae): effects of parasitoid diet, age, and temperature.

Description

The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari), (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) is the most destructive insect pest of coffee globally. A biological control wasp, Phymastichus coffea LaSalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is a gregarious endoparasitoid of H. hampei adult females. It has been introduced to Central and South American countries for the biological control of H. hampei. To release the parasitoid in Hawaii, host specificity was tested by exposing P. coffea to a range of coleopteran beetles. The effect of different temperatures (20 °C, 23 °C, 25 °C, 28 °C and 30 °C) on the developmental time, adult longevity, and sex ratio of the progeny were determined. The effect of diet on the longevity and oviposition was also determined. Results showed that the parasitoid is restricted to the genus Hypothenemus only and did not parasitise any other beetle. The optimum temperature for development was 24-26 °C. Higher temperature was detrimental for the development. The diet of 50% honey solution increased the longevity and oviposition.

Period	19 Jul 2022
Held at	ICE 2022 Helsinki, Finland, Finland
Degree of Recognition	International