Reproductive and developmental parameters of Aenasius bambawalei (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) as affected by temperature

The life table parameters of the parasitoid wasp, aenasius bambawalei hayat (hym.: encyrtidae) were studied at 25, 30, and 35 °c, 65 ± 5% r. h. and 14l: 10d h. third instar nymphs of pseudococcus solenopsis tinesly (hem.: pseudococcidae) were used as host for the wasp. adult longevity and preoviposition period of female wasps were assessed and the raw data were analyzed using the age-stage, two-sex life table. according to the results, the total preovipostion period of females was 17 days at 25 °c and decreased to 13.07 days at 35 °c. the highest and lowest longevity was recorded for females at 25 °c (40.12 days) and males at 35 °c (3.71 days), respectively. the intrinsic rates of increase (r) of a. bambawalei were 0.1192, 0.1599, 0.2142 d-1 at 25, 30 and 35 °c, respectively. the net reproductive rate (r0) was calculated to be 38.04, 55.30, and 81.22 eggs/individual at 25, 30 and 35 °c, respectively. the mean generation time (t) of a. bambawalei ranged from 20.52 days at 35 °c to 30.52 days at 25 °c. our results suggested that a. bambawalei may be a more efficient biological control agent for p. solenopsis at 35 °c than at 25 and 30 °c.