502 Phylum Arthropoda 



Families tiphiidae and scoliidae 



METHODS FOR REARING TIPHIIDS AND SCOLIIDS 



J. L. King, Division of Fruit Insect Investigations, Bureau of Entomology and 

 Plant Quarantine, United States Department of Agriculture 



THE members of the families Tiphiidae and Scoliidae are preemi- 

 nently parasites of the larval stages of the Scarabaeidae. While the 

 life cycles of these two groups are similar in many respects, several points 

 of difference occur which must be considered if these wasps are to be 

 reared in captivity. 



The female tiphiid or scoliid wasp seeks out its host by digging in the 

 soil. The wasps of both families sting the host, causing paralysis prior 

 to oviposition. With tiphiids, paralysis is temporary, of 20 to 30 min- 

 utes' duration, and during this time the parasite attaches its egg firmly 

 to the host. When the period of paralysis is over the host larva becomes 

 normally active, and feeds until after the parasite egg has hatched and the 

 parasite larva has grown to about one-third of its full size. By this time 

 the host has become weakened and it now remains quiet within its 

 earthen cell and is completely consumed by the parasite. The parasite 

 larva then spins its cocoon within the cell formed by the host. 



With the scoliids, the paralysis of the host is permanent and the wasp 

 removes the host from the original cell to another, which is constructed 

 by the parasite, usually at a greater depth than where the host was first 

 located. The scoliid then deposits a single egg on the host, and this is 

 attached so slightly at one end that it may be easily dislodged if the host 

 is not handled carefully. Hatching of the parasite egg and all subse- 

 quent development take place in the cell formed by the parent wasp. 



As both groups of parasites undergo their development within the soil, 

 it is evident that two common requirements should be met when rearing 

 them, namely, a fairly high constant relative humidity and uniform 

 temperatures or at least protection from sudden and extreme temperature 

 changes. 



REARING METHODS FOR TIPHIIDS 



In general the methods discussed here are those already described in 

 the literature. There are certain refinements, however, that have been 

 developed by other workers,* and these have been included in this dis- 

 cussion. 



In order to rear either tiphiids or scoliids one must be familiar with the 

 larval stages of the true host, and if these are not known, experimental 



* The writer is indebted to his associates for many improvements herein included, 



and special credit should be given to J. K. Holloway, T. R. Gardner, M. H. Brunson, 



and R. W. Burrell for improving rearing methods in this group. Other necessary 

 acknowledgments are indicated through the literature cited. 



