THE LIFE CYCLE OF APANTELES CARPATUS (SAY) (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE), A PARASITE OF THE WEBBING CLOTHES MOTH, TINEOLA BISSELLIELLA HUM.

Abstract

This parasite has been reared from larvae of the webbing clothes moth obtained from different localities as well as experimentally. All parasites obtained by natural and experimental infections were females. Oviposition occurred and parasites developed in host larvae weighing 1.6 to 6.8 mg. The parasites oviposited more readily in a host enclosed in a case, especially if the case contained fecal pellets of the host. Eggs were deposited in various parts of the host. A single parasite developed to maturity even though several eggs may have been deposited in the host, each by a separate "thrust" of the ovipositor. Morphological features of the larvae are illustrated. The rate of development varied even at constant temperature. The average length of the life cycle at 27 °C. was 26 days but at 20 °C. it required several months. Experiments were carried out to determine the factors responsible for the variation in the rate of development. The parasite larva, upon emerging from the host, usually spins a white, silken cocoon, although metamorphosis was sometimes completed even though no cocoon was produced.