Abstract:

Encarsia bimaculata  Heraty & Polaszek, a parasitoid of Bemisia tabaci
(Gennadius) biotype B, was recently discovered in South China. The development, survivorship, longevity and reproductive biology of E. bimaculata parasitizing B. tabaci on eggplant and hibiscus at 26±0.5℃ were studied in the laboratory. The developmental time of E. bimaculata from egg to adult was longer on hibiscus (13.6 d) than on eggplant (12.1 d), and its survival rates from 2nd instar to adult emergence were 93.2% and 91.1% on hibiscus and eggplant, respectively. The mean longevities of E. bimaculata female adults ranged from 6.6 d on eggplant to 8.0 d on hibiscus, and the mean lifetime fecundities on the two plants were 27.6 and 35.8 eggs, respectively. The intrinsic rate of increase (r_m) of E. bimaculata population at the tested temperature was higher on hibiscus (0.2081) than on eggplant (0.1892). The results indicated that E. bimaculata performed better in development, survival and reproduction on hibiscus, a glabrous plant, than on eggplants, a hirsute plant.

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Key words: Encarsia bimaculata, host plants, Bemisia tabaci, development, survivorship, reproduction