Reproductive biology and related host-parasitoid interactions between the gypsy moth,Lymantria dispar and Glyptapanteles flavicoxis,a gregarious endoparasitoid*

The mean total progeny produced by female Glyptapanteles flavicoxis was significantly greater when the parasitoid attacked 4th instar gypsy moth rather than younger larvae. The development of parasitoids within older instars was faster than that in younger hosts. The proportion of female progeny was not altered by the host instar parasitised. The total reproductive output per female G. flavicoxis increased as the number of host larvae increased. However, since the reproductive output was spread among more available hosts, the reproductive output per host declined as the number of host larvae increased. There was no trend in the relationship between total progeny produced or the proportion of female progeny and the number of matings of parental females.