Abstract: 【Aim】 Neochrysocharis formosa is a dominant parasitoid against agromyzid leafminers. Both arrhenotoky and thelytoky exist in N. formosa. Thelytokous individuals can quickly establish populations at a low density without the need of raising drones, and the 
thelytokous strain show more important potential in terms of breeding cost and biological control application. This study aims to analyze the effects of ambient temperature on the biocontrol potential of thelytokous N. formosa so as to provide reference for its 
large-scale breeding and field release. 【Methods】 The late 2nd to the early 3rd instar larvae of Liriomyza sativae were used as hosts. The life history traits and biocontrol parameters including the numbers of host-feeding events, parasitism events, and host-stinging events, total number of host-killing events, daily number of host-killing events and longevity of the thelytokous female adults of N. formosa at four temperature conditions (22, 26, 30 and 34℃) were assessed in the laboratory. 【Results】 The numbers 
of host-feeding events, parasitism events and host-stinging events, total number of host-killing events, and daily total number of host-killing events of thelytokous female adults of N. formosa increased generally and then decreased with the temperature increasing. The numbers of host-feeding events, parasitism events, and host-stinging events reached the peak at 30℃, which were 236.1, 69.2, and 49.7, respectively, and were the lowest at 34℃, which were 115.2, 19.8 and 21.6, respectively. The total numbers of host-killing events at 26℃ (282.4) and 30℃ (355.0) were significantly higher than those at 22℃ (194.5) and 34℃ (156.5), and the daily total number of host-killing events reached the peak at 30℃ (25.5). In addition, the longevity of thelytokous female adults of 
N. formosa was the longest at 22℃ and the lowest at 34℃, which were 16.9 and 7.2 d, respectively, indicating that the life span of this parasitoid gradually decreased with the increase of temperature. 【Conclusion】 Although high temperatures shorten the longevity of the thelytokous adults of N. formosa, they show the pronounced ability to kill the host at 30℃, suggesting that the thelytokous adults of N. formosa can exert their biocontrol potential at 30℃ against such agromyzid leafminers with high heat tolerance as L. sativae.

Key words: Neochrysocharis formosa; Liriomyza sativae, thelytokous strain, temperature; longevity, biocontrol potential