Biological characteristics of adult Anagyrus ananatis Gahan (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), a parasitoid of Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

The encyrtid Anagyrus ananatis Gahan preferred to parasitize adult females of pink pineapple mealybug (PPM), Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell), compared to gray pineapple mealybug (GPM), Dysmicoccus neobrevipes Beardsley. When given a choice of PPM life stages, adult female PPM were preferred. Over its adult life, A. ananatis parasitized 27.7 (±2.5) mealybugs, with a range of 11-51 parasitized mealybugs. Development (eggs to adult) required 23.3 (±0.6) and 21.2 (±0.8) days for females and males, respectively, at 26 °C. Adult females had a mean longevity of 9.8 (±2.0) days, while males lived for a mean of 10.8 (±0.6) days at 26 °C when only provided a 50% honey-water solution. Adult longevity increased to greater than 26 days when pure honey and water were provided. Parasitoid adults allowed access to honey lived almost sixfold longer than those denied honey. Pure honey increased mean adult longevity almost 90 and 40% compared to water only or diluted honey concentrations, respectively. Starvation significantly reduced parasitoid survival and longevity with 52% of test individuals dying after being deprived honey and water for 48 h. A. ananatis only parasitized PPM during photophase. A. ananatis parasitized significantly more mealybug hosts as PPM densities increased from 1 to 10 individuals per experimental unit, but then plateaued at densities above 10 individuals.