Comparison of life table parameters of three populations of braconid wasp, Habrobracon hebetor (Hym.: Braconidae) on Ephestia kuehniella (Lep.: Pyralidae) in laboratory conditions.

A study was conducted to compare the biological attributes of three different populations of Habrobracon hebetor Say collected from Chegeni, Gerit and Alashtar, in Lorestan province, Iran. The experiments were performed using fifth instar larvae of Ephestie kuehniella as host under laboratory conditions at temperature 28°C, a photoperiod of 16: 8 (L: D) h, and 60±5% RH. Total developmental time of Chegeni, Gerit, and Alashtar populations were 8.87, 9.17, and 8.38 days, and the values of life expectancy were 24.12, 29.85, and 35.12 days, respectively. Jackknife approach was used to estimate the values of the life table and population growth parameters of the same populations. The intrinsic rate of increase (rm) were 0.34, 0.35, and 0.38 females/female/day, the finite rates of increase (
) were 1.4, 1.42, and 1.47 females/female/day, the net reproductive rates (NRR) were 180.95, 231.88, and 342.28 females/female, the gross reproductive rates (GRR) were 334, 343, and 477 females/female and the mean generation time (T) were 15.3, 16.2, and 15.4 days, respectively in above mentioned populations. The obtained results revealed that the Alashtar population had the highest performance than the Chegeni and Gerit populations regarding the life table parameters.