The influence of hosts, temperature and food sources on the longevity of Trichogramma platneri

Abstract

Feeding experiments were conducted with Trichogramma platneri Nagarkatti (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) reared from the Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Oliver) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). T. platneri provisioned with host eggs do not live any longer than T. platneri without host eggs. Longevity of T. platneri is inversely related to temperature declining from 53 days at 10 °C to 3 days at 35 °C for honey‐fed parasitoids and from 9 days at 10 °C to 1 day at 35 °C for unfed parasitoids. Sugar sources are necessary to prolong longevity of T. platneri, but a source of amino acid did not promote longevity. Honey solutions greater than 10%, and 43% fructose and sucrose solutions increased longevity 10–13 fold to 15–20 days in comparison to water when fed daily to T. platneri. Parasitoids fed only at the onset of the trial had greater longevity than unfed parasitoids but had a shorter longevity than parasitoids fed daily, due to the evaporation of the sugar solutions and consumption of the honey. Aphid honeydew is a suitable field‐available sugar source supporting longevity up to 10 days, but is not as good as other sugar sources. Stabilizing additives did not reduce evaporation of a dilute sugar solution nor prolong longevity of T. platneri. Simulating a daily dew fall by misting vials, to redissolve the crystallized food residues left after providing food at the onset of the trial, failed to increase parasitoid longevity.

Effects and interactions of temperature, host deprivation and adult feeding on the longevity of the parasitoid Venturia canescens (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae)

“…Many studies have shown that parasitoids supplied with carbohydrate-rich foods such as honey, sugar, honeydew, nectar etc., lived longer than adults that were either starved or given only water (Wäckers, 1996;McDougall & Mills, 1997;Wäckers et al, 1998;Schmäle et al, 2001). The importance of adult nutrition for V. canescens was first suggested by Beling (1932), when she observed newly emerged wasps leaving the habitat and host environment soon after emergence, and that the "returning" wasps had nectar droplets on their mouthparts.…”

Color and Height Influence the Effectiveness of an Artificial Feeding Site for a Larval Endoparasitoid, Cotesia Vestalis (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

“…It is thus important to consider how to conserve and utilize C. vestalis in agricultural systems for successful IPM programs. 20,29 . The techniques of artificial food supply for biocontrol agents currently consist of two methods.…”

Adult feeding and mating effects on the biological potential and parasitism of Trichogramma pretiosum and T. acacioi (Hym.: Trichogrammatidae)

“…Species selection is based on laboratory and field trials to study the parasitoid behavior, host preference and tolerance to climate (Pratissoli et al, 2004). However, biotic and abiotic factors, including mating and feeding, might affect these biological characteristics which could influence their efficiency (Berti and Marcano, 1991;Mcdougall and Mills, 1997;Thomson and Hoffmann, 2002). Nectar and pollen are food source for Trichogramma adult in the field (Andow and Rish, 1987;Wellinga and Wysoki, 1989) and they affect their longevity and fecundity (Berti and Marcano, 1991;Mcdougall and Mills, 1997).…”

“…However, biotic and abiotic factors, including mating and feeding, might affect these biological characteristics which could influence their efficiency (Berti and Marcano, 1991;Mcdougall and Mills, 1997;Thomson and Hoffmann, 2002). Nectar and pollen are food source for Trichogramma adult in the field (Andow and Rish, 1987;Wellinga and Wysoki, 1989) and they affect their longevity and fecundity (Berti and Marcano, 1991;Mcdougall and Mills, 1997). These effects are important to select the best species or even strains for biological control program since the control effectiveness might vary between the strains of the same species.…”