Reproductive Biology of Eucelatoria rubentis (Diptera: Tachinidae) Reared on Larvae of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Eucelatoria rubentis (Coquillett) is a tachinid parasitoid of larvae of numerous noctuid species. We studied its reproductive biology as it developed on larvae of the corn earworm Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). The mean number of E. rubentis pupae reared from parasitized 0-, 1-, and 2-day-old fourth instars of H. zea did not differ significantly. However, parasitized 0-, 1-, and 2-day-old fifth instars yielded a mean 2.7, 4.9, and 6.1 E. rubentis pupae, respectively, following a single sting (ovipositor probe) by a female fly. One, two, and three stings of individual 0-day-old fifth instars by E. rubentis yielded a mean 2.5, 5.6, and 7.4 pupae, respectively. A single sting of 0-day-old fifth instars held at 22, 26, 30, and 34°C yielded a mean 1.2, 1.4, 0.9, and 0.0 E. rubenbis pupae, respectively; days to pupation averaged 7.1, 5.5, and 4.7, and days averaged 18.5, 14.4, and 12.4 at 20, 26, and 30°C, respectively. Longevity of male and female E. rubentis averaged 13.8 and 20.9 days, respectively, at 27°C. The number of larvae parasitized and the number of progeny produced by E. rubentis females averaged 97.5 and 234, respectively, at 27°C and a 13:11 light:dark photoperiod.