Apanteles taragamae Viereck

It is a solitary endoparasitoid of young larvae (1-2nd instar). It is one of the most effective natural mortality factors, particularly in Karnataka.

The parasitoid is reared by single exposure method by sandwiching the young larvae between two layers of muslin cloth and securing this on a clear plastic jar (one litre capacity). The other insectary multiplication method is that a day old mated female parasitoid is placed in the tube. After oviposition the larva is placed in a plastic jar (12xl0 cm), containing a small bouquet of leaves of the coconut. The procedure is repeated until the female refuse to show any interest in the larvae offered to it. Larvae are exposed to 10 females for each host plant. This is repeated for 3 days and each batch is treated separately. Then exposed larvae are reared until the parasitoids pupate. The cocoon mass are enclosed in tubes and the emerging adults are kept for mating and shipped for release in the field. The life cycle is completed in about 17 days.

Note: The effectiveness of the parasitoid is impaired by about half a dozen hyper-parasitoids.