Abstract

BACCA, Tito; LOPEZ N., Juan Carlos  and  BENAVIDES M., Pablo. EVALUATION OF DIET SUPPLEMENTS IN ADULTS OF THE PROROPS NASUTA (HYMENOPTERA: BETHYLIDAE) PARASITOID. Bol. Cient. Mus. Hist. Nat. Univ. Caldas [online]. 2012, vol.16, n.1, pp.89-98. ISSN 0123-3068.

The use of complementary diets in parasitoids nutrition plays an important role in these insects' survival and fertility. For this reason, the effect of the diet in the coffee berry borer parasitoid Prorops nasuta, was evaluated using different sugar and protein solutions. The parasitoids were fed separtely in a daily basis with 5 sugars in two concentrations as follows: 1M and 50% fructose, 1M and 50 % glucose, 1M and 50 % maltose, and 25 % and 50 % honey, in addition to a control with water. The highest survival rates were obtained when the parasitoid was fed with: 25 % honey, 1M fructose, and 1M maltose, achieving a survival of 34 to 60 days in 75 % of the wasp population. With sugars 1M fructose and 1M maltose it was possible to obtain 3.15 and 3.04 stages of the parasitoid respectively, which was statistically different from the water control (1.67 stages). The effect of the diet on P. nasuta using 10 different protein solutions was also evaluated; 25 % and 12.2 % torula yeast, 25 % and 12.2 % casein, 25 % and 12.2 % soy flour, 25 % and 12.25 % wheat germ, and 25 % and 12.25 % bee pollen. The longest life span of P. nasuta was obtained when fed 12.2 %, soy flour and 25 % wheat germ, and a survival of 12 to 17 days was observed in 75 % and 50 % of the population, respectively. P. nasuta fertility was not influenced by feeding with protein solutions, because the number of biological stages of the parasitoid was the same as that obtained when it was fed only with water or did not receive any food. The sweetened solutions can be used to increase the wasp survival and fertility in massive reproduction of P. nasuta, when there is a lack of biological stages of the coffee berry borer, or to foster the parasitoid reproduction. Maltose and fructose must be taken into account when choosing weeds that offer nectaries with the presence of these sugars for P. nasuta parasitoid conservation programs.

Keywords : biological control; nutritional ecology; coffee berry borer parasitoid.

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