ABSTRACT
Effect of temperature on longevity, reproduction, and development of Trichogramma nerudai and Trichogramma dendrolimi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Karinne Zúñiga H.1 y Marcos Gerding P.1
 

Trichogramma nerudai Pintureau & Gerding, was recently described in Chile, and there is little information about the influence of the environment on its behavior. Therefore, a comparative study with Trichogramma dendrolimi was carried out evaluating the longevity, reproduction, and development stages of both species at 15, 20, 25, and 30ºC. Longevity and development time decreased for both species as temperature increased, T. nerudai females being most affected. The life span of T. nerudai was greater than T. dendrolimi regardless of temperature. Highest parasitism of Sitotroga cerealella eggs was observed with T. nerudai at 20º and 25ºC. On average, each T. nerudai female parasitized 74.4 S. cerealella eggs, whereas each T. dendrolimi female parasitized 43.7 eggs.

Keywords: biological control, egg parasitoid, parasitism, Sitotroga cerealella.
1 Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, Centro Regional de Investigación Quilamapu, Casilla 426, Chillán, Chile. E-mail: mgerding@inia.cl