Biological characteristics of Trichogramma maxacalii (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) on eggs of Anagasta kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

Abstract

Individuals of two populations of Trichogramma maxacalii (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) were collected from eggs of Euselasia apisaon (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae), a lepidopteran defoliator of Eucalyptus, in plantations in the states of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, Brazil. This study investigated the sex ratio, number of parasitoids per egg, and longevity of individuals of these two populations of T. maxacalii, when this parasitoid was reared receiving eggs of the factitious host Anagasta kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in different periods after emergence, and with or without honey. Sex ratio of T. maxacalii varied from 0.44 to 0.60, and was affected by the interaction between populations, availability of food (honey), and length of time in which the parasitoid stayed without host eggs after their emergence. The population of T. maxacalii collected in São Paulo produced a larger number of individuals per egg of the host A. kuehniella and lived longer when fed.