Comparative biology and ecology of<i>Apanteles flavipes</i>(Cam.) and<i>A. sesamiae</i>Cam. as parasites of graminaceous borers

Abstract

A panteles flavipes (Cam.) and A. sesamiae Cam. are important parasites of graminaceous borers in the Oriental and Ethiopian Regions, respectively. Both have been utilised for biological control. A. sesamiae has become the commonest parasite of Sesamia calamistis Hmps. in Mauritius (Anon., 1954), while A. flavipes has become remarkably successful against Diatraea saccharalis (F.) in Barbados (Simmonds, 1969a). In view of the interest engendered in these parasites, particularly the latter, by these successes, a general account is presented here of their biology, based on published data and on the author's observations at the East African Station (Kawanda, Uganda) of the Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control.