حسین مددی

When natural enemies search for their prey or host within a specific area, they often come across other individuals of the same species. This can result in them leaving the patch or a decrease in a rate at which they kill their prey or host. This phenomenon, known as mutual interference, is influenced by various factors such as the density of parasitoids or predators and the area being searched. This study focused on estimating the interference coefficient of the parasitoid wasp, Habrobracon hebetor Say at seven competition levels and six different densities (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) of the parasitoid wasp per pea plant (Bivanij cultivar) and 10 fourth-instar larvae of Heliothis viriplaca Hufnagel. The correlation coefficient between searching efficiency and parasitoid density was calculated as R2 = 0.8068, and the interference coefficient was determined to be - 0.2172. The strong relationship between wasp density and searching efficiency, as indicated by the R2 value and the statistical significance of the regression, suggests mutual interference among H. hebetor adults. Specifically, the density of female H. hebetor had a negative impact on the searching efficiency, particularly in closed environments