Parasitoids of the Banana Skipper Erionota thrax (L.J in Sumatera Barat, Indonesia, with Notes on their Life History, Distribution and Abundance

Abstract

To breed parasitoids, eggs, larvae and pupae of the banana skipper Erionota thrax were regularly sampled from banana fields at 7 localities in the Province of Sumatera Barat, Indonesia from November 1990 to December 1992. The sampling sites covered a wide spectrum of elevations up from the sea level and also of rainfall conditions. Twelve primary parasitoid wasps were recorded, belonging to 6 families, Braconidae (1 sp.), Chalcididae (2 spp.), Encyrtidae (2 spp.), Eulophidae (2 spp.), Pteromalidae (1 sp.) and Ichneumonidae (4 spp.), and 6 hyperparasitoid wasps, Braconidae (1 sp.), Chalcididae (1 sp.), Eurytomidae (2 spp.), Ichneumonidae (1 sp.) and Eulophidae (1 sp.). Of these wasps, a chalcid, Brachymeria lasus was both primary and hyperparasitic. Four parasitoid fly species were bred from E. thrax larvae and pupae. These belong to the Tachinidae (2 spp.), Sarcophagidae and Phoridae (each 1 sp.). Documentation is provided for each parasitoid species of (1) its distribution and abundance for each sampling site, (2) the developmental stage of E. thrax on which it oviposited and from which it emerged, and (3) the number of individuals which emerged from a single host. Local differences in the parasitoid fauna in different sampling sites are compared.