Biology of C. sp. nr. curvimaculatus. Chelonus sp.
nr. curvimaculatus is an egg-larval parasitoid; t he
parasitoid egg is oviposited in a host egg and completes
development in t h e host larva. After emerging
from the pupation cell, t h e female parasitoid is
ready to oviposit whether she has mated or not.
Upon detecting a host egg, she antennates with t he
tips of h e r antenna several times before she oviposits.
If t h e host egg is acceptable, oviposition lasts
= 2 0 - 4 0 s, one egg being laid during an ovipositional
bout. Superparasitized host eggs were found
in many instances; however, only 1 parasitoid could
complete development in a host. The cause of
death of t h e supernumerary parasitoids was undetermined.
There are 3 parasitoid instars. First instars begin
to hatch =22 h after oviposition with complete
eclosion by = 3 0 h. They are endoparasitic and constitute
t h e majority of t h e larval period ( = 9 d ) . It is
believed that the parasitoid larvae are primarily
feeding on t h e host hemolymph during this period.
The 1st instar was observed to molt into the 2nd
instar only after the host larva had entered its final
instar (4th instar).