Immature Development, Longevity and Fecundity of the Larval Parasitoid, Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), on Tobacco Cutworm

This study was performed to investigate the temperature-dependent development, longevity and oviposition of an indigenous larval parasitoid, Meteorus pulchricornis, on tobacco cutworm, Spodoptera litura. M. pulchricornis were reared at nine constant temperatures between 15 and $35^{\circ}C$. The developmental times of each three developmental stage decreased from 38.7 to 16.3 d between 15 and $30^{\circ}C$. However, M. pulchricornis showed longer developmental time at $32.5^{\circ}C$ (9.5, 7.7 and 17.2 days for each three developmental stage) than at $30^{\circ}C$ (8.9, 7.3 and 16.3 days for each three developmental stage). Immature M. pulchricornis could not develop any more at $35^{\circ}C$. The lower developmental threshold estimated by linear regression equation for the egg to cocoon, cocoon to adult emergence and egg to adult emergence were 5.1, 4.6 and $4.5^{\circ}C$. The thermal constant for each of the three stages were 217.2, 176.2 and 403.8 degree-days, respectively. When no food or 50% honey solution as a food source is provided for M. pulchricornis, the parasitoid survived for 8.3 and 55.9 days at $25^{\circ}C$, respectively. M. pulchricornis females laid 5.2 eggs daily and total of 131.6 eggs at $25^{\circ}C$ until it died. Peak age-specific fecundity was observed on $14^{th}$ day (9.6 cocoons) after parasitoid emergence and gradually decreased thereafter.