Efficacy of percentage preference of Bracon hebetor Say on (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on the Helicoverpa armigera & Maruca vitrata in pigeonpea under laboratory conditions

Abstract

Bracon hebetor is a common parasitic wasp of Lepidopteran larvae and can attack coleopteran larvae. It is an ecto larval parasitoid belongs to the family Braconidae of order Hymenoptera. The wasp has wide host range and successful biocontrol agent recommended for the control of lepidopteran larvae in many crops and stored grains. The study revealed that when all the hosts were offered to Bracon hebetor it is parasitizing in the order of C. cephalonica followed by H. armigera, and then Maruca vitrata and testing for preference of Bracon hebetor among the larvae of spotted pod borer (M. vitrata) and pod borer (H. armigera) of pigeonpea it was found that B. hebetor highly preferred larvae of H. armigera as compared to M. vitrata and it was observed that mature larvae was highly preferred as host by B. hebetor as compared to immature larvae.