Influence of adult diet on body size of offspring and parasitization capacity of the wasp Paracentrobia subflava, an egg parasitoid of Dalbulus maidis

The nutritional regimens of wasp parasitoids can influence the body size of their progeny and their parasitization capacity. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of food resources (glucose, honey, and no food control) on the body size of offspring and the parasitization capacity of Paracentrobia subflava (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), an egg parasitoid of the corn leafhopper pest Dalbulus maidis (DeLong) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Female P. subflava were exposed to D. maidis eggs for 72 h under three feeding treatments: glucose, honey, and no food control. The body size of the emerged offspring was measured, and parasitization capacity was evaluated by assessing the abundance, rate of parasitism, and emergence rate of P. subflava. The results showed that female offspring from mothers fed with glucose or honey had significantly larger head sizes than offspring from unfed mothers. Male offspring from fed mothers exhibited longer forewings than those from unfed mothers. However, no significant differences were observed in the total abundance of egg parasitoids, parasitism rates, or emergence rates across the feeding treatments. These findings suggest that sugar-based diets affect the size and shape of offspring body structures in P. subflava but do not impact their parasitization capacity, highlighting the proovigenic nature of this species.