Hosts and Host-Age Preference of Campoletis perdistinctus12

Abstract

According to our review of the literature, 23 species of Lepidoptera have been reported as hosts of the ichneumonid wasp Campoletis perdistinctus (Viereck). However, in laboratory tests, the parasite developed successfully on 4 additional species, the armyworm, pseudaletia unipuncta (Haworth); the cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hübner); the southern armyworm, Prodenia eridania (Gramer); and the western yellow-striped armyworm, P. praefica Grote. Two-to 4-day-old larvae of the alfalfa looper, Autogropha californica (Speyer), the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie); the cabbage looper; the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith); the southern armyworm; the tobacco budworm, H. virescens (F.); and the variegated cutworm, Peridroma saucia (Hübner), were particularly susceptible to parasitism by C. perdistinctus in the laboratory. The parasite stung 1- to 8-day-old host larvae but preferred 2- to 4-day-old larvae. The fall armyworm appeared to be the best host for mass rearing the parasite.