Effect of different temperatures on the biology of citrostichus phyllocnistoides (narayanan) (hymnoptera: Eulophidae) a parasitoid of phyllocnistis citrella stainton (lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)

The effect of constant temperatures on developmental time and parasitization rate of citrostichus phyllocnistoides was evaluated on phyllocnistis citrella at nine constant temperatures ranging from 15°cμ1 to 35°cμ1 in 2.5°c increments in the laboratory. developmental periods of immature stages ranged from 34.98 days at 15°c to 9.15 days at 35°c. the lower developmental threshold for c. phyllocnistoides estimated was 8.93°c. mortality rate of immature stages decreased as the temperature increased,ranged from 27% at 15°c to 8% at 35°c. longevity of both sexes were different at all temperatures studied (except 30 and 32.5°c),ranged from 22.1 days at 15°c to 8.0 days at 35°c for males and 23.8 days at 15°c to 8.3 days at 35°c for females. parasitization rate of c. phyllocnistoides on phyllocnistis citrella increased with the temperature up to 32.5°c being 49%,then decreased at 35°c. © 2017 zoological society of pakistan.