Reproductive attributes and functional response of Anastatus japonicus on eggs of Antheraea pernyi, a factitious host

Anastatus japonicus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) is a solitary egg endoparasitoid that has been studied for inundative biological control of Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in China. In this study, we assessed the reproductive attributes and functional response of Anastatus japonicus on a factitious host, Antheraea pernyi (Guérin-Méneville) (Lepidoptera: Anthelidae) at 25 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 5% relative humidity and 16 h:8 h light/dark photoperiod.

The mean lifetime fecundity of Anastatus japonicus females was 404.3 progeny produced over an average oviposition period of 42.3 days. The sex ratio of adult progeny was slightly male biased (51.2%), whereas more female progeny were produced before day 20 of a female's life. Single 1-day-old mated Anastatus japonicus females exhibited a type II functional response to increasing host densities (1-50 eggs), with an inverse host density-dependent pattern of percent parasitism. The upper limit to the daily attack rate was estimated as 7.6 Antheraea pernyi eggs. Furthermore, mutual interference among Anastatus japonicus females occurred when increasing densities of parasitoids (1, 2, 4, 8, 16) were exposed to 30 host eggs.

Laboratory functional response result revealed that individual Anastatus japonicus might be unable to respond effectively to increasing host density in the field, which could be compensated by releasing larger numbers of wasps. Strong mutual interference among foraging Anastatus japonicus females should be considered in any future inundative biological control programs for the sustainable management of Halyomorpha halys or other host insect pests. © 2022 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.