In vitro development of Campoletis sonorensis (Hym.: Ichneumonidae), a larval endoparasitoid of Heliothis virescens (Lep.: Noctuidae) in an artificial medium with insect sources from egg to third larval instar.

摘要

Effects of host haemolymph, fat body, and epidermal cell extracts on growth and development of Campoletis sonorensis, a larval endoparasitoid of Heliothis virescens, were studied in vitro. A simple cell culture medium preconditioned with intact fatbody for several days improved growth of the parasitoid larvae while the addition of macerated fat body had a negative effect. Addition of co-cultured host epidermal cell mixture, without any preconditioning with the artificial medium, promoted growth and development of C. sonorensis. The beneficial chemicals in the epidermal cell mixture were larger than 10 kd but were not cold or heat stable. Addition of unparasitized host larval haemolymph improved the hatching and development of the parasitoid larvae in the artificial medium but haemolymph from parasitized hosts did not. Host pupal haemolymph was also found to be beneficial to growth and development of C. sonorensis. The effective components of pupal haemolymph were also neither cold nor heat stable and had a molecular weight range between 1 kd and 300 kd. While these host-derived growth factors increased moulting and growth, they failed to stimulate C. sonorensis to develop to stages beyond the third instar.