Impacts of the cyromazine emergence inhibition procedure of Bactrocera dorsalis on Fopius arisanus: implications for the biological control of diptera pest

Background Fopius arisanus (Sonan) is an important egg–pupal endoparasitic wasp of Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). As traditional method of sorting nonparasitic B. dorsalis from parasitic wasps is labor-intensive, requires specific equipment and poses the risk of spreading fertile hosts, the development of a more convenient, economical and safe sorting procedure is important. Results The optimal cyromazine emergence inhibition procedure (CEIP) involved facilitating the pupation of B. dorsalis mature larvae (Bdml) in 3 mg kg −1 cyromazine sand substrate (CSS) for 48 h. When the Bdml that had been exposed to F. arisanus during the egg stage were treated with 3–7 mg kg −1 CSS for 48 h, no negative effects on the emergence parameters of parasitoids were observed. Treatment with 3–4 mg kg −1 CSS had insignificant effects on the biological and behavioral parameters of F. arisanus . However, treatment with 5–6 mg kg −1 CSS adversely affected the fecundity and antennating activity of the wasps; specifically, 6 mg kg −1 CSS negatively affected the lifespan and flight ability of wasps. Fortunately, no transgenerational effects on these parameters were observed in the progeny. Regarding the nutrient reserves of both sexes of F. arisanus , significant dose-dependent effects were observed. Moreover, 5–6 mg kg −1 CSS significantly reduced the protein and carbohydrate content in F. arisanus ; in particular, 6 mg kg −1 CSS notably reduced the lipid content. Conclusion CEIP provides a more flexible, economical and safe mass-release program for F. arisanus . In addition, it has profound implications for the biological control of other dipteran pests. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.