PROSPECTIVE OF TELENOMOUS REMUS (NIXON) (HYMENOPTERA: SCELIONIDAE) AS NATURAL EGG PARASITOID AND ITS DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY ON SCIRPOPHAGA INCERTULAS (WALKER)Hitendra Kumar, Sarvendra Singh, Ravindra Kumar and Shalini SharmaAbstract Collection of egg masses of yellow stem borer, Scirpophaga incertulas (Walker) from three different rice growing areas of Dehradun was carried out during kharif 2021 and 2022 on weekly interval. The study was conducted to determine the percent natural parasitization of S. incertulas eggs by various egg parasitoids. Results revealed that during both years of study and at all the three study locations, only one egg parasitoid, Telonomus remus was recorded, causing parasitization of S. incertulas eggs. Activities of other egg parasitoids like Tetrastichus spp. and Trichogramma spp. were not detected in both seasons of year 2021 and 2022, under natural conditions and in the absence of augmentative release. Comparative analysis of our results shown that maximum parasitization of S. incertulas egg was found from Vikasnagar (50.23%), as compared to Doiwala (44.24%) and Mehuwala (42.54%) areas from fourth week of August to first week of September 2022. When we compare results from both the year of study, then it is concluded that during kharif 2022 percent parasitization was higher than 2021. The mean incubation period of T. remus eggs was 2.12 days, while larval and pupal stages were completed in 4.53 and 3.29 days, respectively. Longevity of adult female is higher (2.87) than adult male (1.76). |