%O This work was supported by the Collaborative Crop
Research Program (CCRP) of the McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis,
MN [grant numbers 09-038; 2009-2012]. The opinions expressed herein
are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
McKnight Foundation.
%K Mass rearing, Corcyra cephalonica, Feeding medium, Lifespan, Fecundity, Burkina Faso, Pearl millet
%A A Kabore
%A M N Ba
%A C Dabire-Binso
%A A Sanon
%I Springer
%L icrisat11294
%J International Journal of Tropical Insect Science (TSI)
%P 1-9
%R 10.1007/s42690-019-00005-w
%D 2019
%X Augmentative biological control by the parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is the most promising strategy to control millet head miner, Heliocheilus albipunctella (De Joannis) a major insect pest of pearl millet in the Sahel. As H. hebetor survival is somehow challenging during the nine month long off-season when the host, H. albipunctella is in diapause, there needs to be a sufficient supply of parasitoids for fresh release each year. Therefore, the aim of this study was to establish a small-scale parasitoid rearing process adjusted to the Sahel conditions that can be scaled-up as necessary. We conducted experiments to fine-tune and standardize the rearing technique of H. hebetor for cottage industrial use. The results showed that parasitoids fed with 30% honey solution and supplied daily with one late-larval-stage Corcyra cephalonica Stainton (Lepidotera, Pyralidae) produced highest number of progeny. The optimal times for mating and egg fertilization, was achieved when a male and female pair was confined for 24 h in a 30-cc vial. Our findings indicated that, compared with the conventional rearing method -2 females supplied once with 25 C. cephalonica larvae-, this new method resulted in 14-times greater parasitoid production. Furthermore parasitoid female can be stored for up to three weeks at fluctuating 23–32°C temperature and 25%–80% relative humidity for numbers accumulations prior to on-farm augmentative releases without altering its fitness.
%T Towards development of a parasitoid cottage industry of the parasitoid wasp Habrobracon hebetor (say): optimum rearing and releases conditions for successful biological control of the millet head miner Heliocheilus albipunctella (De Joannis) in the Sahel