Behavior of Trichogramma atopovirilia Oatman & Platner and T. pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) on Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) egg masses

Abstract

In this study we analyzed the impact of physical barriers of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) egg-masses on the behavior of Trichogramma atopovirilia Oatman & Platner and Trichogramma pretiosum Riley. The duration of drumming, drilling, oviposition, period spent over the egg-mass, and interval between parasitized eggs were timed, and the number of parasitized eggs were recorded. The presence of scales on the egg-masses caused a significant increase in the time spent by both parasitoids on each process and a decrease in the residence time over the egg-mass and in the number of parasitized eggs, with an increase in the number of egg layers. There was a significant decrease in the number of parasitized eggs in relation to egg-masses with one layer and no scales. We observed that the physical barriers in fall armyworm egg-masses changed the behavior of T. atopovirilia and T. pretiosum, affecting their parasitization capacity.

Selection of Trichogramma species as potential natural enemies for the control of Opogona sacchari (Bojer)

“…The parasitism capacity of T. atopovirilia, that is, the total number of eggs parasitized (eggs that became dark) by one of Trichogramma species, was higher than that of T. pretiosum for eggs of Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Beserra et al, 2005) and of Stenoma catenifer Walsingham (Nava et al, 2007). In general, T. galloi has a higher parasitism capacity than that of T. pretiosum for Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius) eggs, as these eggs are rarely parasitized by T. pretiosum (Monje, 1995).…”

“…The parasitism capacity and viability of parasitoids is related to the size and nutritional quality of the host eggs (Bai et al, 1992;Cônsoli and Vinson, 2012), host age (Vinson, 2010;Zhang et al, 2014;Song et al, 2015) and physical barriers to oviposition (Beserra et al, 2005). These factors directly affect population maintenance of natural enemies, a key factor for natural or classical biological control (Flint and Driestadt, 1998).…”

Biology and quality assessment of Telenomus remus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and Trichogramma spp. (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) in eggs of Spodoptera spp. for augmentative biological control programs

“…The parasitism potential of the smaller-sized Trichogramma spp. is impaired by the dense scale covering and the layered arrangement in egg masses of Spodoptera spp., so that these parasitoids can parasitize only eggs at the edges and upper layer of the mass, which results in fewer parasitized eggs compared to T. remus ( Beserra and Parra 2004 , 2005 , Carneiro and Fernandes 2012 ). Nevertheless, the Trichogramma sp.…”

Do fall armyworm’s Metaflumizone resistante populations affect the activity of Trichogramma pretiosum?

“…In the case of S. frugiperda, control has been carried out through release of parasitoids of the genus Trichogramma spp. (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) (Beserra et al, 2005;Dequech et al, 2013;Figueiredo et al, 2015;Balestrin and Bordin, 2016) that are used in programs of applied biological control since these agents parasitize the egg phase of the pest and impede the emergence of caterpillars and thus does not occur their attack. In Brazil, the natural occurrence of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) parasitizing eggs of S. frugiperda (Beserra et al, 2002;Dequech et al, 2013;Balestrin and Bordin, 2016) offers good perspectives for its application because, in addition to its ability to act on the target pest, this parasitoid is easily rearing in the laboratory conditions.…”