Document Type : Pest Management
Authors
Abstract
Current research is conducted to evaluate effects of Lecanicillium muscarium (Petch) Zare & Gams (Deut.: Moniliales) on longevity, fecundity and mating behavior of Aphidius nigripes Ashmead (Hym.: Aphididae). Different levels of infection established by spraying two fungal concentrations (105 and 107 spore/ml and control with distilled water) or with sampling in different time on the male or female parasitoids. Based on different experiments, possibility of fungal transmission during mating, survival, parasitism rate, sex ratio, weight of progeny, time before mating and time of mating were evaluated. Results demonstrated that there was no transmission of fungus from infected to healthy individuals during mating. Also, there were not any significant differences in survival of healthy females, parasitism rate and sex ratio of progeny between treatments and control, when infected males mated with healthy females. Infection of females after 96 hours, (mated with healthy males) showed that there is significant effect on theirs survival (Treatment 6.61 ± 0.94 and control 10.7 ± 1.48) and parasitism rate (treatment 106.7± 16.6 and control 161± 16.4). Whereas, sex ratio and weight of progeny in treatments were similar compared with control. Fungal infection was effective on mating behavior of infected male parasitoids. Three and four days after inoculation, necessary time for mating of infected males with healthy females significantly increased, compared to control (163.8 ± 21.8, 205.1 ± 18.8 and 119.6 ± 21.04 seconds for treatments and control, respectively). The infected and control females started to mate healthy males at the same time and their mating durations were equal
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