DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENDOPARASITOIDS MICROPLITIS-CROCEIPES, MICROPLITIS-DEMOLITOR, AND COTESIA-KAZAK (HYMENOPTERA, BRACONIDAE) ON HELICOVERPA-ZEA AND HELICOVERPA-ARMIGERA (LEPIDOPTERA, NOCTUIDAE)

The native parasitoid, Microplitis croceipes (Cresson), and two imported species, Cotesia kazak (Telenga) and Microplitis demolitor Wilkinson, developed equally well on Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) and Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). Developmental time on both host species was significantly longer for M. croceipes than for both imported species. Mortality of immature parasitoids was not significantly different for all parasitoid species on H. zea, but was significantly less for C. kazak on H. armigera than for both species of Microplitis. The female - male ratio was significantly greater for M. croceipes than for the imported parasitoid species when reared on H. zea. When all three parasitoid species were reared on H. armigera, sex ratios were not significantly different.