The seasonal incidence of Meteorus autographae Muesebeck (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) on larvae of the soybean looper, Pseudoplusia includens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in soybean fields in South Carolina was monitored at two locations during 1981, 1982, and 1983. In most instances, parasitism of soybean looper larvae by M. autographae was detected 7 to 14 days after soybean looper larvae were first found in the fields. During this three-year study, maximum parasitism of soybean looper larvae by M. autographae within a season ranged from 4.6 to 19.8%. In the laboratory, numbers of hosts parasitized per 24 hours by M. autographae increased with each successive increase in host density. At a host density of 40 larvae per 1.75-liter cylindrical container, an average of 26 hosts were parasitized by one M. autographae during 24 hours. Percent parasitism remained about the same (64 – 70%) at all host densities.
Contributor Notes
1 HYMENOPTERA: Braconidae.
2 Pseudoplusia includens (Walker) (LEPIDOPTERA: Noctuidae).
3 Technical contribution No. 2431 of the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.
4 Current address: Department of Entomology, P.O. Box 1071, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37901-1071.