Temperature-dependent development rates of Bracon vulgaris, a parasitoid of boll weevil

• Published in: Phytoparasitica Vol. 37; no. 1; pp. 17 - 25
• Main Authors: Ramalho, F.S, Wanderley, P.A, Malaquias, J.B, Rodrigues, K.C.V, Souza, J.V.S, Zanuncio, J.C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-02-2009; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Anthonomus grandis; Anthonomus grandis grandis; biological control; biological control agents; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Bracon; Bracon vulgaris; cotton; Ecology; Entomology; enzyme inactivation; Enzymes; equations; Gossypium hirsutum; Hatching; High temperature; hyperparasitoids; Inactivation; insect control; insect development; insect pests; Insects; Life Sciences; nonlinear models; Parasites; Pest control; Plant Pathology; plant pests; Plant Sciences; Regression analysis; Temperature; Thermal stress; Brazil; Lactin et al. model; Nonlinear models; Sharpe and DeMichele model
• ISSN: 0334-2123; 1876-7184
• DOI: 10.1007/s12600-008-0004-5

The duration of development of
Bracon vulgaris
Ashmead, parasitoid of the boll weevil
Anthonomus grandis
Boheman, was determined at nine constant temperatures between 18°C and 38°C. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to test the fit of temperature-dependent development rates to the Sharpe and DeMichele and Lactin et al. models. At the highest tested temperature (38°C) all the parasitoid eggs died before hatching and no evidence of development was observed. The high values of
R
2
for the models of Sharpe and DeMichele (0.8432 to 0.9834), and Lactin et al. (0.9071 to 0.9795) indicated that these models are suitable to estimate the development rate of
B. vulgaris
as a function of temperature.
B. vulgaris
showed tolerance to high temperature which is represented by the high value of
H
H
(change in enthalpy associated with high-temperature inactivation of the enzyme) for the prepupa stage of this insect obtained with the Sharpe and DeMichele model. According to that model,
B. vulgaris
exhibits thermal stress at 35.7°C, which indicates that maximum thermal stress estimated by this model was close to the real one.