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Rearing phonotactic parasitoid flies [Diptera: Tachinidae, ormiini, ormia spp.]

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Abstract

Females of ormiine tachinids fly to their hosts' calling songs and deposit larvae on the host or nearby. Two species,Ormia ochracea (Bigot) andO. depleta (Wiedemann), were reared for at least 8 generations, making them the first ormiines to be laboratory-propagated. Both were reared on natural hosts:Gryllus spp. field crickets (principallyG. rubens) forO. ochracea, andScapteriscus spp. mole crickets forO. depleta. Commercially rearedAcheta domesticus tested as hosts were less satisfactory. Hosts were parasitized manually or by confinement with flies or planidia (infective larvae). Transparent, cylindrical, sleeved cages were designed to accommodate parasitized hosts and pupae and adults ofO. ochracea. Cages were joined to allowO. ochracea to cycle through its stages with minimum handling and care. Parasitized hosts and pupae ofO. depleta were held in containers of damp sand; adults were held in cages developed forO. ochracea. Adults of both species were maintained on applesauce, sugar cubes, powdered milk, and water. The life cycle ofO. ochracea was about 31 days and ofO. depleta about 36 days, with the principal difference being the time required for planidia to complete development. InO. ochracea the adults emerged synchronously but inO. depleta males preceded females. In both species sex ratio was generally I: 1 and females lived slightly longer than males.O. depleta from our laboratory colony have been released for biological control of mole crickets.

Résumé

Les femelles des tachinides Ormiini volent aux chants de leurs hôtes et elles posent leurs larves sur l'hôte ou tout proche de lui. Nous avons élevé 2 espèces pour la 1re fois;Ormia ochracea (Bigot) etO. depleta Wiedemann, durant 10 et 8 générations respectivement. L'élevage était réalisé sur hôtes naturels: grillons des champs (Gryllus spp., principalementG. rubens) pourO. ochracea, et courtillières du genreScapteriscus pourO. depleta. Les grillons domestiques [Acheta domesticus (L.)], achetés dans le commerce, convenaient moins. Des femelles gravides des diptères ont été attrapées aux pièges utilisant le chant des hôtes. Les hôtes ont été parasités à la main, ou par confinement avec les diptères femelles ou les larves infectantes. Des cages cylindriques, transparentes, et avec un manchon de tissu, ont été construites pour recevoir des hôtes parasités, des nymphes et des adultes d'O. ochracea. La réunion de 2 cages a permis le développement du cycle complet d'O. ochracea avec un minimum de soins et de manipulations. Les hôtes parasités et les nymphes d'O. depleta ont été enfermés dans des boîtes de sable humidifié; les adultes ont été enfermés dans des cages du même type que cells utilisées pourO. ochracea. Les adultes des 2 espèces ont été alimentés avec de la sauce aux pommes, des morceaux de sucre, du lait en poudre et de l'eau. Une génération d'O. ochracea dure environ 31 jours et une d'O. depleta, environ 36 jours; la différence principale est la durée de développement des larves infectantes. La durée de développement des ММ el des ФФ d'O. ochracea est identique, mais chezO. depleta les ММ se développent plus rapidement que les ♀♀. Le rapport des sexes est 1: 1 généralement chez les 2 espèces, et les ♀♀ vivent un peu plus longtemps. Des individus d'O. depleta de notre élevage ont été lâchés comme agents de lutte biologique contre les courtilières du genreScapteriscus.

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  1. Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, 32611-0740, Gainesville, FL, USA

    S. A. Wineriter & T. J. Walker

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  1. S. A. Wineriter
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  2. T. J. Walker
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Wineriter, S.A., Walker, T.J. Rearing phonotactic parasitoid flies [Diptera: Tachinidae, ormiini, ormia spp.]. Entomophaga 35, 621–632 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02375096

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