Demographic parameters of Trichopria drosophilae in three host species

Trichopria drosophilae Perkins (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae) is a cosmopolitan endoparasitoid of the pupal stages of Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae) and other Drosophila species around the world. It is also considered as a potential biocontrol agent of this pest. Here we describe the effects of three hosts ( D. suzukii , Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, and Drosophila immigrans Sturtevant) on the demographic parameters of T. drosophilae . Adult female T. drosophilae that emerged from D. immigrans and D. suzukii were larger than those that emerged from D. melanogaster . Fertility was 18% greater for T. drosophilae that developed on D. immigrans and D. suzukii , compared with those developing on D. melanogaster . The net reproductive rate of T. drosophilae was higher on D. immigrans and D. suzukii (R 0  = 25.25 and 26.51) than on D. melanogaster (R 0  = 22.53). However, the generation time was longer on D. immigrans and D. suzukii (T = 20.38 and 19.59 days, respectively) than on D. melanogaster (T = 17.20 days), perhaps due to their larger size. This favored the intrinsic rate of natural increase of T. drosophilae reproducing on D. melanogaster (r m  = 0.181) compared with those reproducing on D. immigrans and D. suzukii (r m  = 0.158 and 0.167, respectively). Parasitism rate of D. suzukii by T. drosophilae was 53% regardless of the host species from which the parasitoid had emerged. The implications of these results are discussed in the context of biological control of D. suzukii .