AÇÃO DO PARASITÓIDE Anastatus sp. (EUPELMIDAE - HYMENOPTERA) EM OVOS DE Dirphia rosacordis WALKER, 1855 (LEPIDOPTERA - SATURNIIDAE) EM PEQUIZEIRO (Caryocar brasiliense CAMBESS)

The action of parasitoid Anastatus sp. on eggs of D. rosacordis , common for defoliating “pequizeiro” ( Caryocar brasiliense Cambess), was studied on eggs collected in the field and eggs obtained in laboratory. Eggs were collected in Hidrolândia, Senador Canedo and Goiânia, Goias, Brazil. In these regions, D. rosacordis shows two generations: September and December. To obtain eggs, a D. rosacordis colony was maintained on pequi leaves over the egg mass obtained in the laboratory and kept under controlled temperature, relative humidity and photoperiod. Among 1,346 eggs obtained in laboratory conditions, 44.3% were parasitized, 40.2% were viable and 15.4 % were not viable. From 697 eggs collected in the field, 25.5% were parasitized, 58.9% were viable and 15.6% were not viable. Adult emergency was observed among 83,4% of parasitized eggs. These data suggest the possibility of using this parasitoid for the pequi caterpillar control, which also causes serious damage on Eucalyptus sp., mainly in Minas Gerais, Brazil. KEY-WORDS: Anastatus ; parasitoid; egg.