A Comparative Study on the Biological Characteristics of Parthenogenetic and Bisexual Restored Trichogramma pretiosum Lines

Abstract

Abstract In order to investigate the effect of Wolbachia on fitness of their hosts, the biological characteristics of a primarily parthenogenetic line and a bisexual restored line (obtained by antibiotic treatment) of Trichogramma pretiosum were compared in the laboratory. Results indicated that both the mean longevity and fecundity of parthenogenetic line (14.2 d and 165 eggs/female) were significantly higher than those in bisexual restored line (8.4 d and 124.2 eggs/female). Both lines of T. pretiosum had the highest daily fecundity (23.3 eggs/female for parthenogenetic line and 19.8 eggs/female for bisexual restored line) on the first day during their reproduction period, and their survival rate and daily fecundity decreased gradually with age; however, the survival rate and daily fecundity of the parthenogenetic line were always higher than those of bisexual restored line, during the entire experimental period. There was no significant difference in emergence rate and deformity rate between the two T. pretiosum lines. The life-table parameter results indicated that net reproduction rate (R0) and mean generation time (T) in parthenogenetic line (133 and 16.8) were significantly higher than those in bisexual restored line (61.7 and 15.5); intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm) and finite rate of increase (λ) in parthenogenetic line (0.29 and 1.34) were higher than those in bisexual restored line (0.26 and 1.3). Based on these results, it can be confirmed that the removal of Wolbachia in the parthenogenetic line had an adverse effect on fitness of T. pretiosum.