Annals of Plant Protection Sciences

Studies were conducted on the variability and reproductive compatibility among exotic (Indonesia) and indigenous (Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra) populations of Cotesia flavipes collected on different sugarcane borers from different agroclimatic regions. All the populations of C. flavipes could be successfully reared on the laboratory bred larvae of sugarcane stalk borer, Chilo auricilius. Results indicated variation in biological parameters among different populations of C. flavipes. The parasitoid from Bihar indicated lowest development time (20.7 ± 0.24 days) and highest adult emergence from cocoons (93.15 ± 1.97%), sex ratio (F/M) in the progeny (4.42 ± 0.82) and wasps production by a single female (45.82 ± 9.34) as compared to exotic (Indonesia) and other indigenous (Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra) populations. None of the populations was found to be tolerant to low temperature as the parasitisation by all the populations remained significantly low at 15°C as compared to 25°C. There was reproductive compatibility among different populations of C. flavipes as the female progeny was obtained in all the crosses.