The impact of mating conditions on the reproductive efficiency of Anisopteromalus calandrae

The maize weevil parasitoid, Anisopteromalus calandrae, is a dominant parasitic wasp targeting stored-product Coleoptera pests, and rapid mass-rearing is a key factor influencing its practical application. The physiological state of female and male wasps significantly impacts their rapid reproduction. To gain deeper insights into the effects of female and male wasps conditions on the reproductive efficiency of A. calandrae, this study investigated the impacts of female age, sex ratio (female∶male), and mating duration on parasitoid's reproductive performance. The results showed that 3-day-old females reached peak values in the number of emergence offspring ((10.50±1.78) individuals), pest control rate (93.33±1.72) %, and number of female offspring ((7.60±0.97) individuals), whereas females over 16 days old exhibited a significant decline in reproductive capacity. The treatment group with a 3∶1 (female∶male) sex ratio group had the longest female lifespan (17.40±0.55) d and the highest pest control rate (82.10±5.14)%, but its offspring sex ratio (0.54±0.02) was lower than that of the 1∶1 sex ratio group (0.75±0.07). For mating duration, females paired for 1-3 days had the longest oviposition period and highest offspring emergence wasps while maintaining a relatively high pest control rate. In contrast, prolonged mating duration (4-10 d) led to a significant reduction in reproductive performance. Therefore, the optimal reproductive conditions for A. calandrae females include selecting 3-day-old females, maintaining a 3∶1 (female∶male) sex ratio, and short-term mating (1-3 d). These findings provide key parameters for optimizing the mass-rearing techniques of natural enemies, and further offer important guidance for improving the efficacy of biological control against stored-product pests.