Biological Observations on Tetrastichus giffardianus (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), a Gregarious Endoparasitoid of The Mediterranean Fruit Fly and The Oriental Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

Fruits collected from peaches and loquats to estimate field parasitism of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), and the oriental fruit fly, Dacus dorsalis Hendel, showed that the gregarious endoparasitoid, Telrastichus giffardianus Silvestri (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), was abundant in the Kula area of Maui, Hawaii during June and July 1988. The combined average parasitoid progeny per puparium was 6.4 from the two host species. Parasitoid sex-ratio was independent of host size and averaged 79% females per host puparium.