[Biological aspects of Cirrospilus neotropicus Diez & Fidalgo (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), parasitoid of Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae)].

The biology of Cirrospilus neotropicus Diez & Fidalgo reared on third instar Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton larvae having Citrus limonia Osbeck as host plant, was evaluated under controlled conditions (25 +/- 1 masculineC; 12h photophase). The survival, immatures development, longevity, sex ratio, host feeding and oviposition ratio of C. neotropicus, were registered. Two groups of parasitoid females were evaluated: one, with parasitoids obtained from P. citrella pupae collected in citrus orchards and the other group came from laboratory rearing. These females, after mating, were maintained individually on gerbox containers with honey and pollen as food source. At each 48h, 12 P. citrella larvae were changed. The average biological cycle of the female progenies from orchard and laboratory generation groups were 11.8 and 11.6 days, respectively. The males progenies had biological cycles of 11.6 and 10.9 days, as well. The shortest immature survival period, for both studied groups was the larval (57.3% - orchard group and 57.4% - lab group). The mated females average longevity (21.8 days) was superior than the non mated ones (9.1 days) for the orchard group. The average daily oviposition rate for this last group was also significantly superior (2.8 eggs /day) than the lab group (1.6 eggs / day). The same trend was observed for the average daily host feeding rate (1.7 larvae /day for the orchard group and 0.9 larvae/ day for the lab group). These data suggest that C. neotropicus have potencial as a biological control agent of P. citrella.