PARASITISATION POTENTIAL OF EGG AND LARVAL PARASITOIDS AGAINST LESSER WAX MOTH Achroia grisella F. (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE) UNDER STORED CONDITION

An experiment conducted to evaluate the parasitisation potential of egg (Trichogramma chilonis Ishii) and larval parasitoids (Bracon brevicornis Wesmael and Apanteles galleriae Wilkinson) on the developmental stages of lesser wax moth, Achroia grisella F. The results indicated that a maximum parasitisation of 46.67% was noticed on egg masses released with seven pairs of T. chilonis, with an overall mean of 28.89 % and also the adult emergence was recorded about 59.49 %. Among the two larval parasitoids taken, the per cent parasitisation of lesser wax moth larvae by A. galleriae was maximum (38.68% overall mean) than by B. brevicornis (33.14%) with a mean adult emergence of 71.16% and 64.78% respectively.