Eucelatoria bryani Sabrosky

Eucelatoria bryani (origin: USA) has been introduced based on material from Mississippi. This species is a specific and common larval parasitoid of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and other closely related species in several parts of USA, Nicaragua and Mexico. The parasitoid after its colonization has been recovered from several places including its recovery from tomato ecosystem in India from different places like Karnataka (Bangalore, Dharwad), Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad) on pigeonpea and (Rajahmundry) on tobacco and Tamil Nadu (Paiyur) from tomato, pigeonpea and lab-lab.

Fifty pairs of Eucelatoria bryani adult flies are released in a 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm cloth-walled cage with wooden bottom and glass door, having feeding material such as honey swabs (50% honey) and sugar cubes. Two sterile cotton sponge pieces/pads dipped in water are kept in small plastic containers inside the cage to provide free water. For additional humidity, a sheet-of synthetic sponge soaked in water is placed on the floor of the cage. The flies mate and are ready for oviposition in about 6-7 days. After 7 days, fourth instar larvae of Helicoverpa armigera are placed inside the cage. The females which are ready to parasitise approach the Helicoverpa larvae and start depositing their maggots within the hosts by puncturing the skin with the ovipositor. The haemolymph usually oozes out from the puncture. The parasitized larvae are immediately removed to avoid undesirable super- parasitism. They are kept in individual vials/cells of trays with feeding material- semi-synthetic diet.

The maggot completes its development in 5-7 days. The full- grown maggots usually come out of the dead hosts and pupate outside. Each host larva may yield 2-6 parasitoid puparia. If the puparia are more in number as a result of undesirable super parasitism, they are usually small and the adults emerging from them are less fecund or efficient. The puparia are removed gently with the help of camel hair brush washed once in 1% sodium hypochlorite and 2-3 times in distilled water and then kept in 2.6 cm diameter uncovered petriplate lined with wet sponge and placed in a cage for adult emergence. After a week the flies emerge, which are collected and used for further multiplication.

For maintaining the nucleus culture, each gravid female can be held in a 15 cm x 2.5 cm glass vial and Helicoverpa larvae provided one at a time for parasitisation. The parasitized larva, as seen from the oozing haemolymph, can be kept separately with feeding material.

The newly formed puparia and adult flies could be safely stored at 10°C for 15 days.

The cage for adult emergence is similar to the one used for oviposition of flies. The petriplates containing puparia are introduced through sleeves from the side of the cage. This eliminates handling of adult flies. Small cardboard cartons have been designed with windows cut and pasted with white plastic mesh for aeration. By keeping known number of puparia, removing the empty cases of puparia after the fly emergence is completed, providing adult food and after the gestation period is completed such cages could be directly shipped for field release of flies.