''Habrobracon hebetor'' is a minute

wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...

of the family

Braconidae The Braconidae are a family of parasitoid wasps. After the closely related Ichneumonidae, braconids make up the second-largest family in the order Hymenoptera, with about 17,000 recognized species and many thousands more undescribed. One analysis ...

that is an ectoparasitoid of several species of moth caterpillars. Well known hosts include the larval stage of ''Plodia interpunctella'', the

Indianmeal moth The Indianmeal moth (''Plodia interpunctella''), also spelled Indian meal moth and Indian-meal moth, is a pyraloid moth of the family Pyralidae. Alternative common names are weevil moth, pantry moth, flour moth or grain moth. The almond moth ...

, the late larval stage of the Mediterranean flour moth and the

almond moth The almond moth or tropical warehouse moth (''Cadra cautella'') is a small, stored-product pest. Almond moths infest flour, bran, oats, and other grains, as well as dried fruits. It belongs to the family of snout moths (Pyralidae), and more spe ...

, and the dried fruit moth (''

Cadra calidella ''Cadra calidella'', the dried fruit or date moth, is a species of snout moth in the genus ''Cadra'' and commonly mistaken for the species ''Cadra figulilella.'' It thrives in warmer conditions and is found primarily in Mediterranean countries, a ...

).'' This

parasitoid In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...

has been used commercially as a way to control pests without using chemical insecticides.

Use in biological control

These wasps feed quickly, aided by their gut

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

s which quickly destroy the

blood proteins Blood-proteins, also termed plasma proteins, are proteins present in blood plasma. They serve many different functions, including transport of lipids, hormones, vitamins and minerals in activity and functioning of the immune system. Other blood pr ...

in the moth larvae. This increases the value of the species as an effective

biocontrol Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...

agent.

Life cycle

At , the life cycle of the wasp is about ten to thirteen days from initial parasitism to final emergence of the adult. The adult female lives about 23 days during which it produces about 100 eggs. One to 8 eggs are deposited in individual, paralyzed, late

instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...

moth larvae.

Radiation

''Habrobracon hebetor'' is remarkably resistant to radiation. While LD₁₀₀ is estimated around 1000 rads for humans, and 56,128 rads (64,000

roentgens The roentgen or röntgen (; symbol R) is a legacy unit of measurement for the radiation exposure, exposure of X-rays and gamma rays, and is defined as the electric charge freed by such radiation in a specified volume of air divided by the mass of ...

) for the fruit fly ''Drosophila melanogaster'', a study showed that ''H. hebetor'' survived X-ray radiations of 158,080 rads (180,250 R). In this study, irradiated groups even had an increased life span compared to non-irradiated control groups, an effect attributed to the lack of activity of irradiated individuals. A similar effect has also been noticed in other insect species. However, female ''H. hebetor'' were sterilized at 4,210 rads (4,800 R) exposure. Another study showed that 218,373 rads (249,000 R) exposure instantly killed 100% ''H. hebetor''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2214586 Braconidae Biological pest control wasps Insects described in 1836