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We evaluated the effects of adult mating and temperature on the biological potential and parasitism of Telenomus podisi (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae) on Euschistus heros (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Females were isolated and the characteristics of the F1 generation were compared with those of females previously copulated. The parasitism capacity of T. podisi on E. heros eggs at 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 °C was evaluated. The longevity of parental females (days), egg-adult period (days) of the F1 generation, parasitism of parental females (%), and parasitoid emergence (%) were not influenced by the lack or not of the copulation. The offspring of non-copulated females were males, and arrhenotokous parthenogenesis occurred. The temperatures most favorable to the parasitoid were 25 and 30 °C. Even previously copulated females generated mostly males after a few days of oviposition. Therefore, the biological characteristics and reproduction of T. podisi were impacted by adult mating prior to parasitism and by different temperatures. Although parasitism of T. podisi was not affected by mating parasitoid permanence in the field, it may be affected when unmated females are released.

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The ages of parasitoid females and their hosts can have substantial effects on parasitism and parasitoid efficacy. This relationship has been investigated over the last few decades and found to vary among species. To our knowledge, it was virtually unknown for Trichogramma pretiosum wasps that parasitize Anticarsia gemmatalis eggs. Therefore, the influence of parasitoid and host age on the parasitism of T. pretiosum on eggs of A. gemmatalis was here evaluated in three independent bioassays. Neither the number of parasitized eggs nor that of emerged parasitoids differed between T. pretiosum females of different age. The number of parasitoids per egg and the sex ratio were higher for 5-day-old females. Regarding host age, the number of parasitized eggs was highest for A. gemmatalis eggs aged 24 h (9.60), followed by eggs aged 48 h (1.00), while no parasitism was observed for eggs aged 72 h. The number of parasitoids per egg and sex ratio were not influenced by host age. Preference was significantly higher for host eggs aged 24 h (79.67%), followed by eggs aged 48 h (16.99%) and 72 h (3.33%). Accordingly to these results, the key challenge for a successful T. pretiosum release to control A. gemmatalis in the field is to synchronize the presence of up to 5-day-old adults with the most susceptible phase of the host eggs (1 day).

The objective of this study was to evaluate extent of larval period, larval survival (%), food consumption, and pupal biomass of Spodoptera eridania and de pragas, lagartado-cartucho, lagarta-das-vagens, resistência varietal.

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