Behavioural responses of Campoletis chlorideae Uchida (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) to kairomonal substances

With a view to utilize kairomones for improving the performance of Campoletis chlorideae Uchida, efforts were made to study its response to the kairomones from host insects. Electrophysiological studies of the antenna of this parasitoid revealed its highest response to the 4 and 10 day-old-larval extract of Spodoptera litura (Fabricius). In wind tunnel experiments, highest response was recorded to the larval extract of S. litura compared to the frass extract of S. litura, and larval and frass extract of H. armigera. Study on response of C. chlorideae to different concentrations of larval wash of S. litura revealed maximum response to 0.3 and 0.7% concentrations. Further, experiments with the 0.7% larval extract recorded significantly higher parasitization by C. chlorideae on the larvae of S. litura in rearing cages. The GCMS analysis suggested role of compounds like myristic acid and pentacosane for the preference of 4 day- old- larvae of S. litura by C. chlorideae.