Post-harvest-pest-management
Guides
Habrobracon hebetor
Habrobracon hebetor is a minute braconid wasp and gregarious ectoparasitoid of lepidopteran larvae. Females paralyze host caterpillars with venom and lay up to 45 eggs externally on the host body; larvae feed on host hemolymph, leaving only the cuticle. One generation develops in 9–14 days under optimal conditions of 25–30°C and 70–80% relative humidity. The species is widely used in augmentative biological control programs against stored-product pests and field crop pests, with mass-reared releases achieving 70–90% biological efficacy. It exhibits high genetic diversity across geographic populations and can enter diapause for cold storage.