Larval age dependent parasitization performance of Cotesia flavipes on Sesamia inferens

Abstract

• Cotesia flavipes is an important hymenopteran larval parasitoid that belongs to the family Its usage in pest management strategies is promising due to its parasitic impact on the larval stage of lepidopteran The current investigation aims to determine the optimal host age for the parasitoid's mass proliferation and augmentative The experiments showed that the female flavipes parasitize all larval age groups of Sesamia inferens. Among all the larval ages, flavipes preferred second to third instars for parasitism during the spring (up to 90%) and kharif (up to 80%) There was no substantial difference in the development period  between  stinging,  cocoon  production,  and  the  adult  emergence of The age of the host has a substantial impact on adult longevity, with females taking longer than Thus, larval instars (second and third) are also recommended for high-quality mass-rearing larval parasitoids, especially flavipes, due to their strong parasitism and high net reproductive Therefore, the second and third instars of S. inferens will recommend for the mass rearing of flavipes and the release of these parasitoids in the field as a successful bio-control