Effect of food availability on egg load, longevity and progeny production of Trichogramma evanescens Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), egg parasitoid of corn borer

Issue Date

4-2011

Abstract

The sexuality, mode of reproduction as well as adult survival, lifetime productivity and ovipositional activity patterns of Trichogramma evanescens Westwood were studied with and without access to food. Assessments were made from individual wasps exposed to various food sources with corn borer eggs as the natural host and rice moth eggs, the factitious host. The laboratory-reared population of T. evanescens reproduced by arrhenotoky. The pattern of egg maturation and deposition of the parasitoid have characteristics of both the synovigenic and pro-ovigenic types. Female wasps without food (no honey, no water) lived for an average of 1.5±0.3 days while those with access to food (honey, honey and water, water) lived significantly longer for an average of 8.8±0.4 days. Similar trend was observed on the male wasps with an average life span of 1.7±0.3 days without food and 6.7±0.4 days with food. Wasps' average reproductive potential was 27-32 eggs daily when food is available and remained reproductive from 7 to 9 days. Without food, wasps have an average reproductive potential of 15 eggs daily and may live for 3 days only. Realized fecundity of the wasp with access to food was 6.5±1.5 offspring on the average for 9 days. Without food, wasps' average realized fecundity was 3.8±0.8 offspring per day and may live for 3 days. Laboratory-reared female Trichogramma wasps started ovipositing immediately upon exposure to rice moth eggs but took three hours to oviposit into the corn borer eggs.

Source or Periodical Title

Philippine Entomologist

ISSN

0048-3753

Volume

25

Issue

1

Page

88-109

Document Type

Article

Frequency

semi-annually

Physical Description

figs. ; graphs ; tables

Language

English

En – AGROVOC descriptors

TRICHOGRAMMA EVANESCENS; INSECT EGGS; PLANT PESTS; PARASITOIDS; FOOD SUPPLY; LONGEVITY

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