پرورش موفقیت آمیز ساقه‌خواران ذرت و نیشکر Sesamia spp. با استفاده از جیره غذایی نیمه مصنوعی به منظور تولید انبوه زنبور پارازیتوئید تخم،Telenomus busseolae

The stem borers, Sesamia cretica Lederer and S. nonagrioides Lefèbvre are the most important pests of maize and sugarcane fields in Khuzestan. The most important biological control agent of the stem borers, Sesamia spp. is the egg parasitoid wasp, Telenomus busseolae Gahan. Due to its high host specificity, mass rearing of the mentioned parasitoid wasp, is possible just by using its original natural hosts. Current study was carried out to determine the effect of a prepared semi- artificial diet on life table parameters of S. cretica and S. nonagrioides at temperature 27±1˚C, 50±10% (RH%), and a photoperiod of 16:8h (L:D), using two-sex life table analysis procedure. Experiments were started with 140 same-aged eggs (<24h) as cohort obtained from 2nd laboratory generation. According to the results, rearing of both species was done successfully by using prepared semi-artificial diet. Mean developmental times of S. cretica and S. nonagrioides were 48.80±0.39 and 51.88±0.52 days, respectively, on semi-artificial diet. Mean fecundity of the mentioned species were 152.48±8.90 and 128.73±9.22 eggs, respectively. Gross reproductive rate (GRR), net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rates of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ) and mean generation time (T) of S. cretica were 167.86±18.58 egg, 63.14±7.35 egg, 0.0805±0.0027 day-1, 1.0839±0.0029 day-1 and 51.37±0.56 day, respectively. Estimated values of the mentioned parameters for S. nonagrioides were 132.74±15.17 egg, 45.08±6.11 egg, 0.0700±0.0030 day-1, 1.0725±0.0033 day-1 and 54.28±0.89 day, respectively. According to the obtained results, prepared semi-artificial diet can replaced successfully with current applied natural diet for mass production of T. busseolae in insectariums and overcome the most important problem for mass rearing of the parasitoid wasp, T. busseolae.