BIOLOGY AND PARASITIZATION OF DINARMUS VAGABUNDUS (HYMENOPTERA : PTEROMALIDAE)

The potentiatiality of using Dinarimus vagabundus (Timberlake) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) as biological control agents have been explored in laboratory studies. Its biology has been Studied during sumiher and winter seasons. Fecundity and percentage of parasitization were always higher in summer. It has also been observed that the parasitization percentage showed significant variation on different species of stored legume seeds infested by Callosobruchus chinensis. It was maximum on cow pea (27.01% parasitization) during summer followed by green gram, red gram and chick pea. The parasitization potentiality of D. vagabundus did not correspond to the high rate of reproduction but the capacity to penetrate the stored seeds and kill/paralyze the larva/pupa of C.Chinensis.