Abstract
Trichogramma spp. are parasitoids used in the regulation of insect populations that can cause economic damage. In order to ensure good performance, understanding some of their biological characteristics is essential. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether mating interferes with the biological characteristics of a population of Trichogramma pretiosum collected in the field. In all experiments, groups of mated and unmated females were used. We also verified any interference from mating on the biological characteristics of the offspring. We found that mating can alter the parasitism and longevity of genitor females, in addition to changing longevity among the descendants, but once parasitized, the eggs develop normally, showing similar emergence percentage and number of offspring as those from unmated females. In addition, we verified that the population of T. pretiosum collected in the field presented individuals with reproductive thelytokous and arrhenotokous characteristics. This fact highlights the importance of careful investigation on the reproduction mode of populations collected in the field, thus avoiding problems in the effective management of insect populations.
Highlights
Parasitoids are key species in the regulation of insect populations (Querino et al 2010)
In arrhenotokous Trichogramma species, mating is an important factor to consider for the successful use of these species in the field, since unfertilized eggs produce male individuals (Pratissoli et al 2009, Farrokhi et al 2010), which can compromise the maintenance of the parasitoid in the field
Mating is not taken into consideration in field releases of Trichogramma species, the energy expenditure can alter the biology of this parasitoid, affecting its ability to control insect populations
Summary
Parasitoids are key species in the regulation of insect populations (Querino et al 2010). The most common reproduction mode in Trichogramma, and in Hymenoptera in general, In arrhenotokous Trichogramma species, mating is an important factor to consider for the successful use of these species in the field, since unfertilized eggs produce male individuals (Pratissoli et al 2009, Farrokhi et al 2010), which can compromise the maintenance of the parasitoid in the field. On the other hand, mating in thelytokous species is not essential to ensure a large number of female descendants, since both fertilized and unfertilized eggs will produce females (Hohmann et al 2002). Mating is not taken into consideration in field releases of Trichogramma species, the energy expenditure can alter the biology of this parasitoid, affecting its ability to control insect populations. This study aims to determine whether mating can interfere in the biological characteristics of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879, reducing the efficiency of its desirable characteristics
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