Development and reproduction of Trichogramma cacoeciae Marchal, 1927 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) on Cydia pomonella (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) eggs

Abstract The effects of temperature treatments (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 ±1ºC), parasite age, host age, and availability of food on the development and reproduction of the egg parasite Trichogramma cacoeciae on Cydia pomonella eggs, were examined. The results showed that temperature had a profound effect on the mean number of parasitized eggs/females and the survival of immatures to the adult stage. Parasitization was highest on the 1st day after emergence, gradually decreasing for the next 2-10 days (depending on the temperature); it reached a peak at 25±1 ºC. The results also showed an inverse relationship between temperature, developmental time and mean adult longevity; the rate of development increased and longevity decreased with increasing temperature. The availability of food (honey) increased the parasitization rate, and the younger the host (C. pomonella eggs), the more susceptible it was to parasitization.