Rearing and release of the pulse weevil parasitoid Dinarmus basalis (Rond.) (Hymenoptera:Pteromalidae)

Abstract

Mass rearing technique of Dinarmus basalis and release of this parasitoid in an experimental room to determine its potential as a biological control agent, against a solitary larval-pupal parasitoid of the pulse weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus is described. One thousand parasitoids were capable of producing more than 35000 parasitoids per week. The parasitoid suppressed about 85% population of C. maculatus at the introduction levels of 40 or 50 pairs and about 45% at the introduction levels of 5 pairs only. Progeny produced when introducing 50 pairs was 9.01 per female and it was 35.5 per female with 5 pairs.