Life Table Studies on the Natural Enemies of Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Abstract

Life table studies were carried out on egg, larval and pupal parasitoids of Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) in the laboratory. Egg parasitoid Triehogramma chilonis Ishii (maize strain) had the highest finite rate of increase of 1.41 per female per day and doubling time was less than 2 days, the shortest amongst trichogrammatids studied. The larval parasitoid, Cotesia flavipes Cameron lived for 7.79 days and the first two days after pre-oviposition period accounted for 88.7 per cent of its total fecundity. The finite rate of increase was 1.147 per female per day, whereas finite rate of increase of the pupal parasitoid, Xanthopimpta stemmator (Thunberg) and Tetrastichus howardi (Olliff) were 1.178 and 1.274 per female per day, respectively.