Behavioural Responses of Key Parasitoids of Opisina arenosella Walker (Lepidoptera:Noctuidae) to the Kairomones

Hexane wash of gallery and body of Opisina arenosella Walker elicited positive response from the parasitoids namely Goniozus nephantidis (Muesebeck), Brachymeria nephantidis Gahan and Elasmus nephantidis Rohwer, in terms of more number of parasitoids entering the kairomone arm than hexane arm in 'Y' tube olfactometer. Although, numerically, the gallery wash elicited higher response than larval body wash of the host O. arenosella to G. nephantidis, statistically, the treatments were on par. Chemical analysis of kairomonal substances using GCMS revealed the presence of 13-tetradecenal and myristic acid in the gallery wash, in addition to dodecane, pentadecane, hexadecane, heptadecane, eicosane and tricosane. Larval wash showed terpenoids like alpha-terpinene and alpha humulene.