K.S. AHMED
Dept. of Biological and Geological Sciences,
Faculty of Education, Am Shams University , Cairo , Egypt

ABSTRACT

Rhabdepyris zeae was maintained in the laboratory on the second and third larval instar of Tribolium confrsum. At 25±2°C, the incubation period of the parasitoid egg was 3. days, the following larval instars lasted 10.2 1±1.3 days (3 instars), 3.7±0.09 days as a prepupa, and 13.76±1.34 days asapupa. Only one egg was deposited on each host larva. Sex- ratio in R. zeae was found to be 1.87:1 (female:male) in nature and that was close to that in the laboratory (1.8 1:1). The daily and total rate of egg deposited per female were 2.34±0.17 and 52.3±3.41, respectively at 25±20C. The mean longevity of adult female and male fed on hone last 28.16 and 25.32 days, while the starved adults lied for 2.2 and 1.82 days, respectively, at the same temperature. Percentage of parasitism reached its maximum on T. confusum (90%) while the parasitoid failed to survive on both Oryzaephilus surnamensis and Lasioderma serricorne. In 1989, the parasitoid was highly distributed during summer months in Giza , Cairo , Minia and Dakahlya Governorates

Key Words: Parasitoid, R. zeae, Rhabdepyris, Biology, Morphology.