LABORATORY EVALUATION OF THE POTENTIAL OF Hemiptarsenus varicornis (Giratilt) (Eulophidaez Hymenoptera) IN CONTROLLING SERPENTINE LEAF MINER, Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) (Agromyzidae: Diptera)

Hemiptarsenus varicorniis (Girault) (Eulophidae: Hymenoptera) is an  endoparasitoid of the serpentine leaf miner, Liriomyza trlfolii (Burgess) (Agromyzizlaez  Diptera). A single female ofH. vnricomis could inflict 9.46 per cent mortality of L. trifiwlii  larvae due to parasitizalion and 21.87 per cent mortality due to feeding and parasitization  and together caused a mean of 31.34 per cent mortality of the exposed larvae. Forty five  per cent of attempt yielded parasitoids besides feeding on leaf miner indicating that the  remaining 55 per cent mortality of leaf miner was exclusively contributed by feeding  only. But recovery of adult parasitoids from fed and parasitized leaf miner larvae (presented  as per cent shift in parasitism) was in the range of 30 to 100 per cent with a mean of  26.50 per cent. On an average 25 per cent increase in mortality was observed due to  feeding. However, no significant correlation existed between the leaf miner number and  percent parasitism, leaf miner number and the per cent mortality due to feeding and  parasitism.