Stude On Mating Behavior And Host-searching Behavior Of Glyptapanteles Theivorae Shenefelt(Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Through methods such as anatomy, feeding and continuous records,the mating behavior and host-searching behavior of Glyptapanteles theivorae Shenefelt was explored. About mating behavior,mating rhythm and mating process of Glyptapanteles theivorae were observed, and mating abilities of males and females were determined. About host-searching behavior, the process of searching and dealing with the host were observed. And the choice behaviors of Glyptapanteles theivorae to host and host plants were determined with a Y-tube olfactometer. And the influence of learning during the process of host-searching was studied. It would provide the foundation for the breeding and application in the field, and further provide the theoretical basis for the biological control of Phyllonorycter ringoniella(Matsumura). The results are as following:1.In continuous observation within 24 h, each time period had mating behavior and males excitation behavior, and mating behavior mainly happened in the daytime. There was a clearly rhythm in mating behavior, and the mating peak at 09:00 to 11:00, and there was a small mating peak at 13:00 to 14:00. 20:00 to next 06:00 was relatively quiet period.2.It was found that males and females had obvious choice when mating.Adults could mate on the day of eclosion. Mating rate of 1-day-old females and males were 43.3%and 73.3% respectively. Males mated no more and began to die on the third day, and females began to die on the second day and mated no more on the fourth day. The highest mating time for males was 6 times, while females was 4 times. And males mated 1.77 times on the average, while females mated 0.83 times. The average longevity of males was 3.23 d, while females was 2.30 d.3. Mating process was divided into 3 stages: before mating, mating, after mating. The phenomenon of aggression for the rights of courtship was appeared easily.4.Dealing with the host needed more time than searching the host. The vast majority of females(85%) could find the host larvae in 10 min, and more than half of female could finish the host processing in 10 min. Very few females needed more than 20 min to searching and dealing with the host.5.Glyptapanteles theivorae showed strong tropism to infested leaves with P.r., mechanical damage leaves and larvae. And so does healthy leaves, but the tropism degree not as strong as the odors mentioned above. Between healthy leaves and infested leaves with P.r., Glyptapanteles theivorae tended to infested leaves with P.r. significantly. Fecula and infested leaves without P.r. couldn’t attract Glyptapanteles theivorae.6.The testing wasps contacted the infested leaves with P.r in advance, and got the experience. The first time the time it takes to search the host could be greatly reduced, and improved the efficiency of the search for Phyllonorycter ringoniella significantly. Females having learning experience searching to host location used 93.2 s for the first time, while the control group used 301.8s.