The goal of this study was to compare the lipid, glycogen, and total sugar levels in completely starved (no water or sugar provided), honey-fed, sucrose-fed, or sugar-starved (only water provided) females of the parasitoid Bracon hebetor (Say Hymenoptera: Braconidae). | Research Article Turk J Agric For 34 (2010) 343-347 © TÜBİTAK doi: Effects of sugar feeding on lipid, glycogen, and total sugar levels of a female parasitoid, Bracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Eylem AKMAN GÜNDÜZ*, Adem GÜLEL, Özgür VARER IŞITAN, Ali BOZ, Özlem CESUR Ondokuz Mayıs University, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, 55139 Kurupelit, Samsun - TURKEY Received: Abstract: The goal of this study was to compare the lipid, glycogen, and total sugar levels in completely starved (no water or sugar provided), honey-fed, sucrose-fed, or sugar-starved (only water provided) females of the parasitoid Bracon hebetor (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). We also quantified the lipid, glycogen, and total sugar levels in newly emerged unfed (day 0) female (n = 30) wasps. The mean amounts of reserves obtained from these females were regarded as a standard for the initial amount of reserves. The glycogen level of emerging females was ± μg. As expected, sucrose- or honey-fed females had significantly higher glycogen levels than emergent, completely starved, or sugar-starved females. There was no significant difference between completely starved and sugar-starved females for glycogen levels. Emerging females had significantly lower total sugar levels ( ± μg) than those receiving other diet treatments. Total sugar levels did not significantly differ between completely starved and sugar-starved females. Similarly, honey-fed or sucrose-fed females had similar levels of total sugars. Female B. hebetor emerged with the highest amounts of lipid ( ± μg). Lipid levels in females of all diet treatments declined significantly from emergence to the tenth day of adult life. The decline in lipid levels was slower in honey-fed or sucrose-fed females than in those of completely starved or sugar-starved females. Key words: Bracon hebetor, glycogen, lipid, sugar feeding, total sugar Şekerle .
