Fl. Consoli et Jrp. Parra, BIOLOGY OF TRICHOGRAMMA-GALLOI AND TRICHOGRAMMA-PRETIOSUM (HYMENOPTERA, TRICHOGRAMMATIDAE) REARED IN-VITRO AND IN-VIVO, Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 89(6), 1996, pp. 828-834
The life cycle and parasitization of Trichogramma galloi Zucchi and T.
pretiosum Riley were studied on natural and factitious hosts, and on
artificial diets. Eggs of sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.) (
Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), and tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens (F.)
(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), were used as natural hosts of T galloi and
T pretiosum, respectively. Eggs of Mediterranean flour moth, Anagasta
kuehniella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), were used as factitious
host for both parasitoids. T. galloi was reared in vitro on a diet of
70% hemolymph of larvae of corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lep
idoptera: Noctuidae), 20% chicken egg-yolk, 10% bovine fetal serum, an
d 0.2% streptomycin. T. pretiosum was reared on a similar diet, with 5
% H. virescens egg juice replacing 5% bovine fetal serum. The egg-adul
t development of T. pretiosum reared on the artificial diet was delaye
d, whereas developmental differences were not found for T. galloi rear
ed on natural or artificial diets. Survivorship was also reduced for b
oth parasitoids reared on artificial diets. The parasitization and fem
ale longevity were reduced for parasitoids reared on the factitious ho
st or artificial diets. No differences in adult size or in morphology
of the genital apparatus were detected among parasitoids reared in vit
ro or in vivo; but wing and abdominal malformations occurred for paras
itoids reared on artificial diets.