ABSTRACT
We evaluated whether Cotesia flavipes (Cameron) females are able to discriminate between parasitized and unparasitized fifth instar larvae of Diatraea saccharalis Fabricius. Three types of larvae were offered to the female endoparasitoid: unparasitized, recently parasitized and parasitized 24, 48 and 72 hours before exposure. At first, females of C. flavipes could recognize parasitized larvae only until 24 hours after previous parasitism. However, the sex ratio analysis indicated that the females laid more eggs than produced males in superparasitized hosts, suggesting that they can also distinguish parasitized larvae few days after the first parasitism. There was no significant difference on the mean number of eggs per host, considering the larvae parasitized only once and larvae superparasitized. The developmental periods of the parasitoids which emerged from the hosts of those two experimental groups did not differ. The viability of the parasitoids which developed in superparasitized hosts was lower than that recorded for the parasitoids which emerged from hosts parasitized only once.
KEY WORDS:
Insecta; superparasitism; sex ratio; biological control; sugarcane borer.
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