Bracon gelechiae Ashmead

A strain of Bracon gelechiae was imported into India from Canada for trials against the potato tuber moth Phthorimaea operculella.

The parasitoid could be produced as any other braconid. The male and female adults are paired in a cylindrical jar (5 cm dia x 5 cm h) the mouth of which is secured in place by 2 rubber bands. The parasitoids are fed on 10% sucrose solution provided in soaked cotton wads. After the preoviposition period i.e. on 3rd day of release of adults, 10 full grown larvae of Phthorimaea operculella or Corcyra cephalonica are exposed to the parasitoids by placing them over the existing muslin cover and covering again by another muslin cloth thereby sandwiching the larvae between two layers of muslin cloth. Finally a glass plate is kept over the top to prevent their movement and escape. The female parasitoid paralyses the host larvae by stinging them through the muslin cloth and lay eggs on them.

The parasitised larvae along with muslin cloth layers are replaced daily on each of the jars with a fresh set of larvae sandwiched between two layers of muslin cloth. The parasitised larvae are kept on pieces of paper in a ventilated plastic container fitted with a clear glass tube on top side. The parasitoids start emerging in 9-10 days and are collected in this tube by covering the entire container with black cloth and placed back in a similar assembly. Each female parasitoid is capable of laying 200 eggs. The eggs laid on paralyzed larvae hatch and the grubs feed on the body contents of paralysed larvae and form white cocoons. The adult female sometimes feeds on the oviposition puncture site.