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Performance of four Trichogramma species (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) as biocontrol agents of Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under various temperature regimes

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Abstract

Trichogramma spp. are major parasitoids of lepidopteran pest eggs, but there is large variation in efficacy toward a given pest among the numerous described Trichogramma species. It is important to select the Trichogramma species that most effectively parasitize and develop in target pest eggs for biological control. In this context, Trichogramma pretiosum, T. exiguum, T. atopovirilia and T. acacioi were studied in Heliothis virescens eggs under different thermal conditions. The parasitoids were reared at constant temperatures of 20, 25 and 30°C and tested at these respective temperatures, while parasitoids reared at 25°C were also tested at 20 and 30°C, for a total of 20 species–temperature combinations. About 30 H. virescens eggs were offered to the parasitoids for 24 h. Among the four species, parasitism rate by T. atopovirilia was highest at all temperature conditions, whereas T. acacioi had the lowest rates of parasitism at 25°C and 25/30°C. Parasitism ranged from 13.8 to 43.8% among all species–temperature combinations. Viability (emerged parasitoids) ranged from 80.8 to 98.4%, and was deemed satisfactory. The emergence rates of T. exiguum and T. acacioi were affected by temperature. Temperature also affected the sex ratio of T. exiguum at 25/30°C, whereas T. pretiosum and T. acacioi produced females predominantly independent of temperature. Overall, the parasitoid T. atopovirilia was the most efficient in parasitizing H. virescens eggs, though the levels of parasitism obtained might not ensure its successful use in biological control programs. The temperature-related differences in biological traits observed in the four Trichogramma species tested hint at the importance of making careful choices regarding climatic conditions where the parasitoid is going to be used when selecting a species for biological control programs.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Jeannine Pizzol, Jetske deBoer and Emily Mohl for their comments on the mansucript. This work was funded in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior and in part by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Universitário Norte do Espírito Santo, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, 29933-480, São Mateus-ES, Brazil

    Gilberto Santos Andrade

  2. Departamento de Produção Vegetal, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, 29500-000, Alegre-ES, Brazil

    Dirceu Pratissoli & Hugo José Gonçalves dos Santos Junior

  3. Departamento de Fitotecnia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 36570-000, Viçosa-MG, Brazil

    Leandro Pin Dalvi

  4. French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), UR 880, 06903, Sophia Antipolis, France

    Nicolas Desneux

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  1. Gilberto Santos Andrade
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  2. Dirceu Pratissoli
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  3. Leandro Pin Dalvi
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  4. Nicolas Desneux
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  5. Hugo José Gonçalves dos Santos Junior
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Correspondence to Gilberto Santos Andrade.

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Communicated by M. Traugott.

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Andrade, G.S., Pratissoli, D., Dalvi, L.P. et al. Performance of four Trichogramma species (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) as biocontrol agents of Heliothis virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under various temperature regimes. J Pest Sci 84, 313–320 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-011-0364-3

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