Does Beauveria bassiana (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) Affect the Survival and Fecundity of the Parasitoid Coptera haywardi (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae)?

The effect of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin on the development of immature stages, and survival and fecundity of Coptera haywardi (Oglobin) adults was studied under laboratory conditions. The fungus was applied as dry conidia on parasitized pupae of Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart) (Diptera: Tephritidae) and on parasitoid adults of two different age groups (1- to 4-d-old, and 5- to 10-d-old). The fungus caused no negative effects on the development of the immature stages, since there were no differences on the emergence of adults compared with the untreated control. Adults were susceptible to the fungus on both sexes and age groups. Males showed shorter lifespan than females, even in untreated individuals. Despite the increased adult mortality produced by the fungus there was no effect on fecundity during first 18 d of adult life, as the net fecundity was 26.7 and 26.3 parasitoids per female treated and untreated, respectively. Our results suggest that, given the low susceptibility of parasitized pupae and the no effect on fecundity during the first 18 d of adult life, it is possible to develop management strategies using these two natural enemies in the biological control against A. obliqua.