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Arthropods, 2018, 7(2): 42-47
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Article

Functional responses and parasitoid success rate of aphelinid Eretmocerus sp. (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on Bemisia tabaci Genn. (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

WenJun Zhang
School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China; International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Hong Kong

Received 26 May 2017;Accepted 28 June 2017;Published 1 June 2018
IAEES

Abstract
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd Ex Koltz) is an important ornamental and medicinal plant. One of its major insect pests is sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabasi Genn. (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). Eretmocerus sp. (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) is an important natural enemy agent on sweetpotato whitefly, which mainly parasitizes 2nd and 3rd instar nymphs of B. tabaci and often feeds the nymphs. With poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd Ex Koltz) as the host plant, the present study showed that the functional responses for parasitization of E. sp. on 2nd and 3rd instar nymphs of B. tabaci coincided with Holling-III equation. The handling time against the 2nd and 3rd instar nymphs were 76.2 min and 117.2 min respectively. The maximum parasitization against the 2nd and 3rd instar nymphs were 18.9 per day and 12.3 per day respectively. The functional responses for host feeding of E. sp. on 2nd and 3rd instar nymphs of B. tabaci coincided with the Holling-II equation. The handling time against the 2nd and 3rd instar nymphs were 201.7 min and 298.8 min respectively. The maximum host feeding against the 2nd and 3rd instar nymphs was 7.1 per day and 4.8 per day respectively. The parasitoid success rate of E. sp. against B. tabaci reached 86.5%. The result suggested that the host feeding of E. sp. was a significant component in the natural control of B. tabaci.

Keywords Eretmocerus sp.;Bemisia tabaci Genn.;functional responses;parasitization;host feeding;parasitoid success rate.

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