Parasitoids of the Banana Skipper Erionota thrax(L.) in Sumatera Barat, Indonesia, with Notes on their Life History, Distribution and Abundance.

Abstract

To breed parasitoids, eggs, larvae and pupae of the banana skipper Erionota thrax were regularly sampled from banana fields at 7 localities in the Province of Sumatera Barat, Indonesia from November 1990 to December 1992. The sampling sites covered a wide spectrum of elevations up from the sea level and also of rainfall conditions. Twelve primary parasitoid wasps were recorded, belonging to 6 families, Braconidae (1 sp.), Chalcididae (2 spp.), Encyrtidae (2 spp.), Eulophidae (2 spp.), Pteromalidae (1 sp.) and Ichneumonidae (4 spp.), and 6 hyperparasitoid wasps, Braconidae (1 sp.), Chalcididae (1 sp.), Eurytomidae (2 spp.), Ichneumonidae (1 sp.) and Eulophidae (1 sp.). Of these wasps, a chalcid, Brachymeria lasus was both primary and hyperparasitic. Four parasitoid fly species were bred from E. thrax larvae and pupae. These belong to the Tachinidae (2 spp.), Sarcophagidae and Phoridae (each 1 sp.). Documentation is provided for each parasitoid species of (1) its distribution and abundance for each sampling site, (2) the developmental stage of E. thrax on which it oviposited and from which it emerged, and (3) the number of individuals which emerged from a single host. Local differences in the parasitoid fauna in different sampling sites are compared.

A critical review of the literature on the pest Erionota spp. (Lepidoptera, Hesperiidae): taxonomy, distribution, food plants, early stages, natural enemies and biological control.

“…In Java, 10-80% larval parasitism is reported, and it is commonly hyperparasitized by Brachymeria lasus, and rarely by Eurytoma sp. B and Theronia zebra [147]. It is possible that the records of a Scenocharops sp.…”

“…Okolle et al [127] found that B. albotibialis also attacks prepupae. Where recorded, they are gregarious; Hasyim et al [147,148] record an average of nine parasitoids per host, and Okolle et al [127] report seven per host for B. albotibialis. The inconsistency of names used in different publications, even from the same area, suggests that at least some material has been misidentified in the past.…”

“…Females avoid parasitized ova for oviposition [127]. In Sumatra, it is reported to cause 10-27% mortality [148,151] and Hasyim et al [147] reared an average of 3.8 adults per parasitized egg. It has been recorded from several Lepidoptera, including Eupterotidae, Gracillariidae, Nymphalidae, Papilionidae and Pieridae [141], but the ova of Gracillariidae are most probably too small to support this species.…”

“…Larvae of instars 2-4 are parasitized and the mature parasitoid larvae emerge mainly from instar 5 [127]. Hasyim et al [147,148] record an average of 58 adults per parasitization, although cocoons are often hyperparasitized, while Okolle et al [127] record an average of 87 per larva. This species has been released and established for biological control of E. torus in Mauritius and Taiwan and E. thrax in Hawaii, Guam, Saipan and PNG.…”

Head Capsule Width of Larva and Duration of Developmental Stages of the Banana Skipper, Erionota thrax (L.), (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) in Bogor, Indonesia

“…General descriptions of this species are found in the textbooks of applied entomology (Dammermann,1929;Kalshoven, 1981). However, up to now few detailed ecological studies have dealt with this species except our recent work in the Province of Sumatera Barat (Hasyim et al,1994) and Jawa Barat, Indonesia. This article will describe the head capsule width of each instar larva and the developmental period of respective immature stages ftom egg to pupa in Bogor, Jawa Barat.…”