Effects of artificial diets and floral nectar on parasitization performance of Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko, 1968 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine whether various food resources enhanced the longevity and fecundity of the egg parasitoid Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko, 1968 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) under laboratory conditions (25 degrees C, 65% RH, 16L:8D h photoperiod) at Laboratory of Biological Control, Department of Plant Protection, Agriculture Faculty, Namik Kemal University in 2014. Newly hatched female wasps were fed on Ephestia kuehniella Zeller, 1879 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs with either honey, grape molasses and royal jelly as a main food, alone or double combination of this main foods or supplemented with resin (derived from plants), acacia nectar, Paulownia nectar, red tulip nectar, yellow asphodel nectar, apple syrup, liquid of E. kuehniella eggs or mashed E. kuehniella larvae. Trichogramma brassicae, females that were fed on honey and acacia nectar (17.47 d), honey + apple syrup (17.20 d), honey (16.93 d) and honey + Paulownia nectar (16.60 d) lived significantly longer than females that fed on other floral nectars and artificial diets. Females were fed on royal jelly + mashed E. kuehniella larvae (1.40 d) had the shortest longevity. Trichogramma brassicae females that were fed on honey (106.8 eggs), honey + acacia nectar (105.4 eggs), Paulownia nectar (103.13 eggs) parasitized significantly more hosts than females that fed on other floral nectars and artificial diets. Females fed on royal jelly were had the lowest parasitizing ability (3.33 eggs). These results showed that providing T. brassicae with honey, honey + acacia nectar, honey + apple syrup resulted in greater longevity and total fecundity than other food resources.