PARASITISM EFFICIENCY OF Diatraeophaga striatalis (DIPTERA: TACHINIDAE) TOWARD THE LARVAE OF THE SUGARCANE STALK BORER Chilo auricilius (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE)
Abstract
The efficiency and performance of natural enemies play an important role in biological control. This study investigated the parasitic efficiency and performance of Diatraeophaga striatalis Townsend 1916 (Diptera: Tachinidae), a parasitoid of the sugarcane stalk borer Chilo auricilius Dudgeon 1905 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) under laboratory conditions. A factorial randomized block design was used with two factors: larval instar stage (second and third instars) and host population density (20, 38, and 56 individuals), resulting in six treatment combinations, each replicated four times. The results showed that D. striatalis females deposited their larvae on the feces of C. auricilius at the entrance of the larval tunnels. From the fecal medium, the parasitoid larvae moved toward the host inside the sugarcane stem. Diatraeophaga striatalis exhibited a preference for third instar larvae over second instars, with parasitism rates of 73% and 65%, respectively. Parasitism was affected by host population size, with higher densities resulting in lower parasitism rates. At host densities of 20, 38, and 56 individuals, the parasitism rates were 81%, 75%, and 60%, respectively. Not all available hosts were parasitized. The highest pupal formation occurred at the lowest host density, and third instar hosts produced larger and heavier pupae. Pupae from low-density host populations were generally heavier than those from higher-density populations. The emergence of D. striatalis adults was also influenced by host density: higher host densities resulted in lower adult emergence rates and a reduced number of female adults. Overall, D. striatalis prefers third instar larvae and performs best at low host densities, suggesting that these conditions are optimal for maximizing its parasitic efficiency. These findings provide valuable insights for potential field applications and mass-rearing programs.
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