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Detailed look at paralysis of hosts by the ectoparasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): does more efficient paralysis mean more effective parasitism?

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Abstract

Habrobracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a parasitoid that interferes with the rearing and mass production of Anagasta (= Ephestia) kuehniella, causing economic losses to laboratories and research centers. Although H. hebetor can parasitize insect crop pests, a lack of information on its parasitoid activity on different hosts limits understanding of the paralyzing process, which involves injection of venom to induce host paralysis. We investigated whether hosts selected according to the efficiency of paralysis by H. hebetor were effectively parasitized. We performed an experiment offering 13 different insect pest species from four families (Pyralidae, Erebidae, Noctuidae, and Crambidae) to H. hebetor. We selected the four hosts that were paralyzed in the highest proportions and most rapidly: Diatraea saccharalis, Agrotis ipsilon, Spodoptera cosmioides, and A. kuehniella. We investigated parasitism by H. hebetor, based on the biological parameters of the ectoparasitoid on each host and the respective functional response models. We observed a type II functional response for all alternative hosts tested, which is usual in parasitoid-host relationships. However, H. hebetor was not able to complete its life cycle on A. ipsilon, indicating that paralysis efficacy is a poor criterion to identify potential hosts for parasitism. In the other words, the viability of H. hebetor and the attack rate were highest on D. saccharalis, indicating that this natural enemy might be useful for the biological control of this pest.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Laboratory of Insect Biology in the Department of Entomology and Acarology (USP/ESALQ), especially the technician Neide Zerio for helping with insect rearing. Adriano Garcia Gomes holds a fellowship awarded by FAPESP (2019/26071-8). We also thank SPARCBio (São Paulo Advanced Research Center for Biological Control) (FAPESP-Koppert, 2018/02317-5). We extend our thanks to Janet W. Reid (JWR Associates) for the English revision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology and Acarology, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo (USP), 11 Pádua Dias Ave, Piracicaba, SP, 13418-900, Brazil

    Lucas Vinicius Cantori, Adriano Gomes Garcia, Wesley Augusto Conde Godoy & José Roberto Postali Parra

  2. Moura Lacerda University Center, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil

    Alexandre de Sene Pinto

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  1. Lucas Vinicius Cantori
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  2. Adriano Gomes Garcia
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  3. Alexandre de Sene Pinto
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  4. Wesley Augusto Conde Godoy
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  5. José Roberto Postali Parra
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Contributions

LVC designed and performed the experiments. AGG and WACG performed statistical and ecological analyses. ASP supported the experimental studies. JRPP designed and supervised the study. All authors participated in discussing the results and writing the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Lucas Vinicius Cantori.

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Cantori, L.V., Garcia, A.G., Pinto, A.S. et al. Detailed look at paralysis of hosts by the ectoparasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): does more efficient paralysis mean more effective parasitism?. BioControl 67, 555–562 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-022-10165-3

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