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Seasonal Fluctuations of Cotesia Flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Parasitism in Borers of Sorghum and Sugarcane in Southern India

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Abstract

Field experiments were carried out at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu State, India, for four consecutive years (1990-94), to monitor the seasonal activity of Cotesia flcivipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a larval parasitoid of gramineous borers, including the sugarcane shoot borer (Chilo infuscatellus Snellen), sugarcane internode borer (Chilo sacchariphagus indicus (Kapur) and sorghum stemborer (Chilo partellus Swinhoe) (all Lepidoptera: Crambidae). The highest levels of parasitism (0.0–17.9%) were recorded on Ch. partellus followed by Ch. sacchariphagus indicus (0.0–8.3%) and Ch. infuscatellus (0.0–1.1%). The parasitoid was collected in Ch. partellns and Ch. sacchariphagus indiens in all the four study years, whereas it was not observed in Ch. infuscatellus during 1993-94. Parasitism rates in Ch. partellus were positively correlated with minimum temperature and afternoon RH. In Ch. sacchariphagus indiens, parasitism levels showed significant negative correlation with minimum temperature. Parasitism rates in Ch. sacchariphagus indidus larvae collected during harvest from seven sugar factory areas of Tamil Nadu State were lower in 1992-93 (0.0–1.8%) and higher in 1993-94 (0.0–3.2%) than those recorded at Coimbatore in the corresponding period (December-March). Cotesia flavipes was the only larval parasitoid recorded from the borers both at Coimbatore and the seven sugar factory areas surveyed in Tamil Nadu.

Résumé

Des essais en champs ont été menés à Coimbatore dans l’Etat du Tamil Nadu, en Inde. Ces essais se sont étalés sur quatre années consécutives (1990–1994), afin d’évaluer l’activité saisonnière de Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), un parasite de larves de foreurs des tiges de graminées dont: le foreur de pousse de canne à sucre (Chilo infuscatellus Snellen), le foreur des entrenoeuds de la canne à sucre (Chilo saccariphagus indiens Kapur), et le foreur de sorgho (Chilo partellus Swinhoe) appartenant tous à l’ordre des Lépidoptères: Crambidae). Les niveaux les plus élevés de parasitisme (0–17,9%) ont été observés chez C. partellus suivi de C. saccariphagus indiens (0–8,3) et enfin chez C. infuscatellus (0–1,1%). Le parasitoïde était collecté chez C. partellus et C. saccariphagus indiens au cours de quatre ans couverts par l’étude, au moment où il n’était pas noté chez C. infuscatellus au cours de 1993–1994. Les taux de parasitisme chez C. partellus corrélaient positivement avec la température minimum et l’humidité relative enregistrée les après-midis. Chez C. saccariphagus indiens, les niveaux de parasitisme ont révélé une corrélation significativement négative avec la température minimales. Les taux de parasitisme chez les larves de C. saccariphagus indiens collectées lors de la coupe de la canne à sucre dans 7 périmètres de la sucrerie de l’Etat de Tamil Nadu, étaient très bas (0–1,8%) en 1992–1993 et très élevés (0–3,2%) en 1993–1994, en comparaison de ceux observés à Coimbatore au cours des mêmes périodes (décembre-mars). Que ce soit à Coimbatore ou dans les périmètres échantillonnés de la sucrerie, C. flavipes était le seul parasitoïde rencontré chez les larves de foreurs.

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  1. Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, 641007, India

    J. Srikanth, S. Easwaramoorthy, M. Shanmugasundaram & R. Kumar

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Srikanth, J., Easwaramoorthy, S., Shanmugasundaram, M. et al. Seasonal Fluctuations of Cotesia Flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Parasitism in Borers of Sorghum and Sugarcane in Southern India. Int J Trop Insect Sci 19, 65–74 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1017/S174275840001660X

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