ABSTRACT
Third to fifth instar Diatraea saccharalis Fabricius larvae were individually exposed to Cotesia flavipes (Cameron) females. Parasitized larvae were weighed and the number of egg layings was registered as well as the number of emerged parasitoids and their sex ratio. The number of egg layings of the parasitoid females did not vary according to host age, but the number of offspring was greater in heavier larvae. Sex ratio was biased towards females in all three instars, mainly when they received one, two and four egg layings. Although the number of males usually exceeds that of females in superparasitized larvae, results with self-superparasitized larvae producing more females suggest that the females are not able to recognize hosts that were already parasitized by themselves.
KEY WORDS:
Insecta; self-superparasitism; sugarcane borer; sex ratio; biological control.