BIOLOGICAL PARAMATERS OF TRICHOGRAMMA CHILONIS FEED ON CORCYRA CEPHALONICA EGGS

Abstract

The genus Trichogramma includes an important egg parasitoid wasp Trichogramma chilonis which is a promising biocontrol agent for many agricultural pests globally. In the present study, biological parameters of T. chilonis were assessed reared on the eggs of Corcyra Cephalonica eggs under laboratory conditions (temperature 25 ± 1˚C: relative humidity 60±5 %, and lethal dose of 14:10). Percent parasitism, percent emergence, developmental time, sex ratio, and body size of emerged wasps from C. Cephalonica eggs were recorded. Result showed that T. chilonis successfully parasitized C. Cephalonica eggs up to 67.83% whereas the adult emergence was 58.66%. The developmental duration of T. chilonis was 7 days. The result also showed the emerged progeny population was female-biased (58.22%) as compared to male (41,78%). Based on the morphometric analysis, the average head width, body length, and hind tibia length of newly emerged T. chilonis females were 214.2µm, 472.1µm, and 138.5µm respectively. Whereas, the average head width, body length, and hind tibia length of male wasps were 204.7µm, 447.3µm, and 127.4µm. It is concluded that C. Cephalonica can be used as a potential host for the rearing of promising bio-control agent T. chilonis under laboratory conditions.