Biological Control Potential of Wolbachia -infected Versus Uninfected Wasps: Laboratory and Greenhouse Evaluation of Trichogramma cordubensis and T. deion Strains

The effects of thelytoky-inducing Wolbachia ( &#102 -proteobacteria) on Trichogramma cordubensis and T. deion (Hymenoptera, Trichogrammatidae) were studied in laboratory and greenhouse conditions. One infected (thelytokous, all female) line of each wasp species was compared with its conspecific uninfected (arrhenotokous, sexual) counterpart for several fecundity and dispersal traits. Arrhenotokous lines had a higher fecundity than their thelytokous counterparts, which suggests that Wolbachia negatively affect the fecundity of Trichogramma females. The arrhenotokous females dispersed more in the laboratory than their thelytokous counterparts. In the greenhouse, the opposite effect or no difference between lines was found, indicating that the laboratory set-up used to measure dispersal is not useful to predict relative dispersal of the females in the greenhouse. Calculations show that by releasing 100 adult wasps of both lines, thus including arrhenotokous males in the sexual line, more eggs are parasitized by the thelytokous wasps. Therefore, in spite of their lower individual female fecundity, thelytokous lines have a better potential for biological control than their arrhenotokous counterparts.     

Effect of Temperature on the Biology of Trichogramma dendrolimi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) Reared on a Factitious Host,Antheraea pernyi (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) Egg

Laboratory studies were conducted to investigate the effect of selected temperatures on the development, mortality, sex ratio, and emergence rate of Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura reared from a factitious host, oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi (Guérin-Méneville) eggs. The comparison tests were conducted to investigate the fecundity on Dendrolimus spectabilis (Butler) eggs of T. dendrolimi reared from natural and factitious hosts, and artificial hosts. Developmental periods from egg to adult of T. dendrolimi reared at 26, 28, 30, and 32°C were 10.9, 9.6, 9.0, 8.6 days, respectively. Emergence rates of T. dendrolimi decreased 78.0, 88.4, 60.7, and 50.1% as temperature increased. The progeny sex ratios (i.e., females per male) were 7.3, 8.4, 8.2 and 6.9 at the respective temperatures. When adult T. dendrolimi emerged from A. pernyi eggs were kept in dark conditions for storage at different temperatures for 34 days, their mortality increased as temperature increased: 0% at 0°C; 10% at 4°C; 40% at 6°C; 50% at 18°C and 100% at ≥26°C. The fecundity of T. dendrolimi reared from three different hosts was investigated on D. spectabilis eggs. During the first day, the adult T. dendrolimi reared on A. pernyi eggs laid most eggs (99.0±10.7), followed by those reared on artificial hosts (76.6±24.5) and D. spectabilis eggs (63.4±35.9). Over the entire lifespan, T. dendrolimi reared on D. spectabilis eggs produced the highest number of eggs (218.0±27.9), followed by A. pernyi eggs (104.0±44.7) and artificial host (98.2±37.1). These results suggest that the temperature and three hosts factors had an effect on rearing of the T. dendrolimi on the factitious host, A. pernyi eggs.     

Composite asymmetry as an indicator of quality in the beneficial wasp Trichogramma nr. brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Trichogramma are egg parasitoids that are widely cultured for the control of moth pests in commercial insectaries. Stock quality is often maintained by releasing wasps from a mass culture in an area with target host eggs and initiating fresh stocks from parasitized eggs. Here we test if variability among individuals as measured by fluctuating asymmetry can be used as an additional method of quality control in Trichogramma nr. brassicae by comparing fluctuating asymmetry levels between a random sample of wasps before release and wasps that successfully reach host eggs. Although the asymmetry of individual traits was not associated with wasp fitness, a total asymmetry measure based on combining the uncorrelated asymmetries of nine traits did predict the ability of wasps to reach the eggs.     

Mating systems and sex ratios in the egg parasitoids, Trichogramma dendrolimi and T. papilionis (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Arrhenotokous parthenogenesis was confirmed in Trichogramma dendrolimi and T. papilionis. Subsequently the possible links between mating systems and biological traits of males, and sex ratios, were investigated in these two species, using Papilio xuthus eggs for their hosts. T. dendrolimi males attained 100% insemination of females in the parasitized host before egress from it. The high insemination rate was guaranteed by male precedence in emergence, lack of courtship in mating behaviour and short copulation time, combined with a long stay of emerging wasps within the host. The males were often the last to leave a host and made no mating attempts outside the host. Most but not all T. papilionis females were also inseminated in the host. The lower insemination rate of this species resulted from almost simultaneous emergence of both sexes, which prevented males from mating with inactive females. Another mating site of T. papilionis was just outside the host, which males left prior to most females. A reduced possibility of outbreeding was inferred in T. dendrolimi on the grounds that males were short-lived, frequently failed to expand their wings and died in the host. The reduced outbreeding was reflected in considerably lower sex ratios in T. dendrolimi.     

Effects of host-egg ages on host selection and suitability of four Chinese Trichogramma species,egg parasitoids of the rice striped stem borer,Chilo suppressalis

The striped stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Walker), is one of the most economically important rice pests worldwide. However, biological control of this pest using natural-enemy insects has been rarely documented to date. With the objective of screening suitable candidate species for controlling the striped stem borer, we investigated the effect of the age of host eggs on the host selection and suitability by four indigenous Trichogramma species on their native host, C. suppressalis. The results indicated that the differently aged eggs of C. suppressalis were all accepted by T. japonicum, T. dendrolimi and T. chilonis, and there was a clear tendency to parasitize older eggs less under no-choice and choice conditions. The number of parasitized host eggs by T. ostriniae also decreased with the increasing host age in the no-choice test, but more 2-day-old host eggs were parasitized in the choice test. When 0-, 2-day-old eggs were offered, T. dendrolimi, T. japonicum and T. chilonis exhibited similar parasitism ability, whereas T. ostriniae appeared to have a stronger ability to attack the older host eggs (4-day-old). Trichogramma japonicum developed and emerged on parasitized C. suppressalis eggs of all ages tested, while showing a better adaptation to younger host eggs with significantly faster developmental time, higher survival and more female progeny on 0-day-old eggs. No adults for each of the other three Trichogramma species emerged from parasitized 4-day-old host eggs, and they had similar developmental time, survival and female progeny on parasitized 0-, 2-day-old host eggs with an exception of female progeny for T. chilonis. On 0-day-old host eggs, T. japonicum developed faster and T. ostriniae had lower progeny survival than the other three Trichogramma species evaluated, respectively. The current study provides useful information to select suitable Trichogramma species for controlling the striped stem borer, C. suppressalis.     

Does the Polyphagous Egg Parasitoid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichogramma platneri</Emphasis> Nagarkatti (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) Display Behavioral Plasticity When Parasitizing Different Hosts?

Trichogramma platneri oviposition behavior on Amorbia cuneana egg masses was investigated under laboratory conditions. No relationship was detected between host surface area, number of edge turning on host eggs, and parasitoid clutch size. It was also observed that females parasitized the egg mass randomly by drilling into the egg mass and parasitizing individual eggs without using stereotypical behaviors to assess individual hosts (i.e. drumming and turning). However, clutch size did change due to ovipositional experience as naïve wasps with little or no ovipositional experience (<6 eggs parasitized), allocated significantly more progeny per host than wasps with longer ovipositional experience (24-h oviposition experience on a single egg mass). Moreover, naïve wasps parasitized significantly more eggs on the outer edge of the egg mass than experienced wasps. We contend that the physical characteristics of A. cuneana eggs and egg masses preclude T. platneri from completely discriminating between individual eggs. However, because T. platneri may be using kairomones from the egg mass, this described oviposition strategy remains effective.     

松毛虫卵期几种寄生蜂的共寄生现象及其对寄生率的影响

松毛虫赤跟蜂 Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura 白跗平腹Pseudanastatusalbitarsis Ashmead松毛虫宽缘金小蜂Pachyneuron olitarium(Harig), 松毛虫黑卵蜂 Telenomus dendrolimusi Chu和大蛾卵跳小蜂Ooenvyrtus Kuwanae(Howard)是松毛虫卵期几种主要寄生蜂。通过对上述几种寄生蜂寄生习性的研究表明：赤眼蜂和平腹小蜂不但能寄生新鲜害虫卵,还可以寄生对方已寄生并巳发育1-3天的寄生卵,但羽化串均不高;松毛虫宽缘金小蜂不寄生新鲜害虫卵,专门寄生赤眼蜂寄生后巳发育1-7,天的寄生卵,其中又以赤眼蜂发育3-5天的卵寄生串和羽化率为最高。除赤眼蜂和平腹小蜂可以混合使用外,其它蜂种混用都不同程度地存在相互排挤的现象。如果先让平腹小蜂寄生尔后再让赤眼蜂寄生或先让赤眼蜂寄生,尔后再让跳小蜂或黑卵蜂寄生,能够提高卵块寄生串和充分发挥各自天敌的作用。     

玉米螟赤眼蜂的寄生卵块在玉米上的田间分布型

玉米螟赤眼蜂是松辽平原玉米带寄生亚洲玉米螟卵的优势种。通过几年来的田间释放结果,取得优异的成效。通过对它在玉米田间的分布型研究,揭示了它在玉米田间第一代螟卵发生期间的分布规律,为以疏松的寄生卵块集团形式呈聚集分布;集团内寄生卵块的分布是随机的,无论在高密度时,还是在一般密度条件下,均为聚集分布型;它不受风向的影响。这一研究结果为它的田间释放和应用技术提供重要的科学依据。     

繁育寄主对三种赤眼蜂个体大小及抱卵量的影响

【目的】繁育寄主及成蜂日龄均会影响赤眼蜂体内的抱卵量,为了解繁育寄主及育出赤眼蜂个体大小与赤眼蜂抱卵量的关系,我们在室内研究了米蛾 Corcyra cephalonica（Stainton）卵和亚洲玉米螟 Ostrinia furnacalis （Güenée）卵作为繁育寄主对3种赤眼蜂雌蜂大小、抱卵量的影响。【方法】在光周期14L:10D、温度25±1℃的室内条件下,以米蛾卵、亚洲玉米螟卵作为繁育寄主,解剖不同日龄（羽化后12-72 h）松毛虫赤眼蜂 Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura、玉米螟赤眼蜂Trichogramma ostriniae Pang et Chen以及稻螟赤眼蜂Trichogramma japonicum Ashmead,观察雌蜂抱卵量,测量成蜂的大小,分析雌蜂抱卵量与其日龄、个体大小以及繁育寄主的关系【结果】在羽化后48 h以内,3种蜂的抱卵量随雌蜂日龄的增长而增加。羽化后72 h,除米蛾卵繁育的玉米螟赤眼蜂及玉米螟卵繁育的松毛虫赤眼蜂的抱卵量比羽化后48 h时略高外,其他组合均出现下降。以亚洲玉米螟卵为繁育寄主时的玉米螟赤眼蜂的抱卵量显著高于对应日龄的以米蛾卵为繁育寄主时的抱卵量,而松毛虫赤眼蜂（除羽化后12和24 h外）和稻螟赤眼蜂则相反;以米蛾卵为繁育寄主时,相同日龄的赤眼蜂中,松毛虫赤眼蜂抱卵量最高,稻螟赤眼蜂的抱卵量最低;以亚洲玉米螟卵为繁育寄主时,玉米螟赤眼蜂抱卵量最高,稻螟赤眼蜂抱卵量最低。雌蜂抱卵量与雌蜂个体大小呈线性正相关,相关程度随雌蜂日龄增加而更加明显。【结论】后足胫节长度可以作为评价松毛虫赤眼蜂、玉米螟赤眼蜂和稻螟赤眼蜂质量的指标。赤眼蜂抱卵量受繁育寄主、赤眼蜂蜂种及雌蜂日龄的显著影响,寄主的适合性也会影响育出赤眼蜂的大小,筛选合适的繁育寄主有助于提高赤眼蜂的质量。     

Long-term egg retention and parasitization in Trichogramma principum (Hym., Trichogrammatidae)

Laboratory experiments with Trichogramma principium Sug. et Sor. females that were offered Sitotroga cerealella Oliv. eggs demonstrated that less than half of the ovipositing females started oviposition during the first 2 days of the experiment, whereas the rest of the ovipositing females showed a delay in parasitization ranging from 2 to 10 days after contact with the host. Almost 10% of the wasps refused to parasitize the grain moth eggs over 12 days. The delay in parasitization may be as long as 6–8 days without any significant decrease in the number of mature ovarial eggs, in the number of eggs laid during the first 48 h of oviposition, and in the total lifetime fecundity. This egg retention is responsible for the fact that in spite of a relatively short mean duration of the oviposition period in each individual female (approximately 4 days), host parasitization by a group of simultaneously emerged wasps was almost uniformly distributed over 8–10 days. When induced, the parasitization state (i.e. the tendency to parasitize sequentially offered portions of host eggs) was stable both in the presence of a host and under host deprivation extended up to 8 days. These data provide further evidence for our hypotheses that the stability of the parasitization state in Trichogramma is based on endocrine mechanisms.     

Carbohydrate Suppresses Parasitization and Induces Egg Retention in Trichogramma

The influence of carbohydrate (honey) on host acceptance and egg retention was studied in adult Trichogramma principium . The presence of honey reduced the percentage of ovipositing females and the mean number of eggs laid during 2 days. Consequently, in mass rearing, when Trichogramma is usually presented to factitious hosts for a short time, providing wasps with carbohydrate may decrease progeny production. The mean number of mature ovarial eggs in non-ovipositing females was much higher than in ovipositing females in both fed and starved wasps. The adaptive role of the positive correlation between food supply and egg retention in Trichogramma is discussed.     

Vulnerability window for laying male eggs and superparasitism in producing female offspring of Encarsia sophia on Bemisia tabaci B biotype

Encarsia sophia (Girault & Dodd) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) is an autoparasitoid that produces male offspring by laying unfertilized eggs in conspecific or heterospecific immature parasitoids at a particular stage of development known as the “vulnerability window”. In the work discussed in this paper, the early vulnerability window in which parasitoid wasps lay unfertilized eggs was determined by exposing parasitized Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) nymphs to female E. sophia wasps at 12-h intervals. Because superparasitism affected the results of mass-rearing of parasitoids, especially for autoparasitoids, the effects of superparasitism on development time for female offspring were investigated. Furthermore, the effects of the ratio of wasps to nymphs and the effects of inoculation interval on superparasitism were also determined. The superparasitization behavior was observed in the laboratory. Results indicated that female wasps could produce male offspring in nymphs that had been parasitized five days previously. Wasp offspring were 40.54 and 59.42 % male when exposed nymphs were parasitized 5 and 5.5 days previously, respectively. Superparasitism significantly prolonged the duration of development of female offspring, which increased from 11.5 days for one parasitization to 15.8 days for three parasitizations. Exposure interval also affected superparasitism: when the interval was increased from 0 to 96 h, superparasitism decreased from 70.0 to 23.8 %. With increasing parasitization, the time wasps spent on internal probing plus oviposition increased from 147.4 s for the first parasitization of nymphs to 285.4 s for the third parasitization, whereas there was no significant difference in the time wasps spent on external inspection of nymphs that had been parasitized one, two, or three times. When the ratio of wasps to nymphs was increased from 1:10 to 5:10, superparasitism increased from 0.4 to 46.4 %.     

松毛虫卵期几种寄生蜂的共寄生现象及其对寄生率的影响

松毛虫赤眼蜂Ｔｒｉｃｈｏｇｒａｍｍａｄｅｎｄｒｏｌｉｍ　Ｍａｔｓｕｍｕｒａ,白跗平腹小蜂ＰｓｅｕｄａｎａｓｔａｔｕｓａｌｂｉｔａｒｓｉｓＡｓｈｍｅａｄ,松毛虫宽缘金小蜂Ｐａｃｈｙｎｅｕｒｏｎ　ｓｏｌｉｔａｒｉｕｍ（Ｈａｒｔｉｇ）,松毛虫黑卵蜂Ｔｅｌｅｎｏ－ｍｕｓ　ｄｅｎｄｒｏｌｉｍｕｓｉ　Ｃｈｕ和大蛾卵跳小蜂Ｏｏｅｎｃｙｒｔｕｓｋｕｗａｎａｅ（Ｈｏｗａｒｄ）是松毛虫卵期几种主要寄生蜂。通过对上述几种寄生蜂寄生习性的研究表明：赤眼蜂和平腹小蜂不但能寄生新鲜害虫卵,还可以寄生对方已寄生并已发育１—３天的寄生卵,但羽化率均不高;松毛虫宽缘金小峰不寄生新鲜害虫卵,专门寄生赤眼蜂寄生后已发育１—７天的寄生卵,其中又以赤眼蜂发育３—５天的卵寄生率和羽化率为最高。除赤眼蜂和平腹小蜂可以混合使用外,其它蜂种混用都不同程度地存在相互排挤的现象。如果先让平腹小蜂寄生尔后再让赤眼蜂寄生或先让赤眼蜂寄生,尔后再让跳小蜂或黑卵蜂寄生,能够提高卵块寄生率和充分发挥各自天敌的作用。     

Are wing size,wing shape and asymmetry related to field fitness of Trichogramma egg parasitoids?

The effects of wing shape, wing size, and fluctuating asymmetry in these measures on the field fitness of T. nr. brassicae and T. pretiosum were investigated. Trichogramma wasps mass-reared on eggs of the factitious host Sitotroga cerealella were released in tomato paddocks and those females ovipositing on Helicoverpa spp. eggs were recaptured. Comparisons of the recaptured group with a sample from the release population were used to assess fitness. Wing data were obtained by positioning landmarks on mounted forewings. Size was then measured as the centroid size computed from landmark distances, while Procrustes analysis followed by principal component analysis was used to assess wing shape. Similar findings were obtained for both Trichogramma species: fitness of wasps was strongly related to wing size and some shape dimensions, but not to the asymmetries of these measures. Wasps which performed well in the field had larger wings and a different wing shape compared to wasps from the mass reared population. Both size and the shape dimensions were linearly associated with fitness although there was also some evidence for non-linear selection on shape. The results suggest that wing shape and wing size are reliable predictors of field fitness for these Trichogramma wasps.     

Sex allocation and effects of superparasitism on secondary sex ratios in the gregarious parasitoid, Trichogramma chilonis (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

The role of sex-controlling behaviour at oviposition in generating primary sex ratios, and the effect of larval competition on secondary sex ratios, were studied in the gregarious endoparasitoid, Trichogramma chilonis. The production of a fertilized (female) egg is indicated by the incorporation of a pause in abdominal movements during oviposition, while the absence of it indicates the production of an unfertilized (male) egg. During each ovipositional bout, the first male egg is deposited at the second oviposition, and thereafter at intervals of about eight eggs. This simple pattern enables the wasps to adjust their progeny sex ratios under local male competition to a wide range of host size. Inexperienced wasps do not distinguish between parasitized and healthy hosts. Immature mortality is not significantly different between the sexes when a host is attacked by a single wasp, while females suffer higher immature mortality than males when superparasitism occurs.     

The effectivenes of Trichotim in control of Cydia pomonella L. in western Romania

In the last years a significant attack increasing of codling moth was observed in the western part of Romania. In order to reduce the population of this pests a bioproduct was used named Trichotim based on entomophagous insect Trichogramma sp. Trichotim is a Romanian product certified in year 2000 with the purpose to control the pests present in various cultures such us cabbage, vineyards and fruits plantations. The study was expanded over two years (2008 and 2009), in a super intensive apple orchard of Didactical Experimental Station part of University of Agricultural Sciences Timisoara. In order to control the codling moth, the product Trichotim was used three times correlated to pest biology (two releasing of Trichogramma wasps in the time of first generation and one release in the time of second generation of the pest), releasing 300.000 wasps/ha in total, where 250.000 wasps in first generation time of the codling moth respectively 50.000 wasps in the time of second generation of the pest. The releasing of entomophagous species Trichogramma succeeded at two days after maximal flight values of Cydia pomonella L. The flight curves was realized based on pheromonal traps ATRAPOM placed in tree canopy in stage BBCH 69 (end of flowering, all petals fallen). In order to assess the efficacy of Trichotim the observation was conducted 14 days before fruit harvesting. In the plots where 300.000 wasps were released, the fruits were attacked in percent of 12,33% (efficacy 87,67%) in year 2008 and respectively 14,66% (efficacy 85,33%) in 2009. In untreated plots (control) the fruits were attacked in percent of 23% in 2008 respectively 27,33% in 2009.     

逐日羽化的赤眼蜂品质的比较

本文报道了逐日羽化的赤眼蜂(Trichogramma maidis Pint.et Voeg)品质的比较结果.第1天羽化的雌蜂是群体中生活力最强的个体;第2和第3天羽化的雌蜂生殖力、寿命、个体大小和性比等4项指标逐渐下降;而第4天羽化的雌蜂质量最差.当逐日(第1—第4天)羽化的赤限蜂先分别用地中海粉斑螟卵繁殖1代,然后分别收集第1天内羽化的赤眼蜂试验时,子代(F₁)雌蜂的质量有了明显的提高.母代为第3和第4天羽化的赤限蜂,其子代雌蜂的质量分别超过母代.试验表明,通过实验室选择培养可以改进和提高大量培养赤眼蜂的质量.     

Factors influencing parasitism of Trichogramma dendrolimi on eggs of the Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis

Laboratory studies were made to determine the capacity of Trichogramma dendrolimi to parasitize eggs of Ostrinia furnacalis, as affected by the rearing host species, substrate of host eggs, host age, original locality of host populations, and cold storage of host eggs. Wasps reared from eggs of Antheraea pernyi showed parasitic capacity on eggs of O. furnacalis on average twice as high as that of the wasps reared from eggs of Corcyra cephalonica. When the age of O. furnacalis eggs at 26 °C increased from 0–6 h to 18–24 h, the proportion of wasps that successfully parasitized host eggs, the number of host eggs parasitized, and the rate of parasitization all decreased by >50%. The number of O. furnacalis eggs parasitized per female T. dendrolimi increased with the number of host eggs available, and reached 22.9 in a 24 h period. However, the parasitic capacity of female T. dendrolimi on eggs of O. furnacalis laid on plant leaves was similar to that of O. furnacalis eggs laid on wax paper. Levels of parasitism of O. furnacalis eggs from two widely separated localities, i.e. Changchun (43.50° N, 125.20° E) and Hangzhou (30.18° N, 120.07° E), were similar. Cold storage of O. furnacalis eggs at 4 °C for 5 days did not affect parasitization. Results obtained in this study indicate that although O. furnacalis is a less preferred and less suitable host than many other hosts, such as Dendrolimus punctatus, Actias selene ningpoane, Philosamia cynthia, A. pernyi, C. cephalonica, within the host-species range of T. dendrolimi, the parasitoid has the potential to achieve 50–60% or even higher rates of parasitization of O. furnacalis eggs in corn fields under suitable conditions, and could be used in the biological control of the pest.     

The influence of previous host age on current host acceptance in Trichogramma

Trichogramma principium Sug. & Sor. females were sequentially offered two portions of the grain moth (Sitotroga cerealella Oliv.) eggs, either young (1-day old) or old (eggs that had developed 6 days at a temperature of 20 °C). The probability of host acceptance depended not only on current host age, but also on the age of the previously offered host. Particularly, Trichogramma females more often oviposited in old host eggs when previously offered young eggs (35–45% of Trichogramma females laid eggs) compared to females which were sequentially offered two portions of old eggs (15–20% of Trichogramma females laid eggs). In other words, parasitization by Trichogramma was stable even when transferred from young (preferred) to old (usually rejected) eggs. Dissections showed that refusing females had significantly more mature eggs than ovipositing females, independent of host age. Among ovipositing females, wasps provided with young hosts had fewer mature ovarial eggs than wasps provided with old hosts. Supposedly, Trichogramma females offered old hosts require a higher motivation to oviposit and have a correspondingly higher egg load than females offered young (preferred) hosts.     

Do sympatric Trichogramma species parasitize the pest insect Helicoverpa armigera and the beneficial insect Chrysoperla carnea in different proportions?

Parasitism of two host species by five Trichogramma species (Hymenoptera, Trichogrammatidae) was studied in the laboratory. The host species were: i) the bollworm Helicoverpa armigera Hübner (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), an important pest of many crops in the tropics and subtropics, and ii) one of its natural enemies, the lacewing Chrysoperla carnea Stephens (Neuroptera, Chrysopidae), a predator often used as a biological control agent. The proportion of H. armigera eggs parasitized from the total number of parasitized hosts differed between Trichogramma species. The average number of parasitized eggs per female in 24 h by Trichogramma pintoi and T. bourarachae was 10 of H. armigera and about 0.5 of C. carnea. For the other three Trichogramma species (T. cordubensis, T. evanescens and T. turkestanica) these averages varied from 6 to 11 H. armigera eggs and from 3 to 4 C. carnea eggs. Total adult offspring production, contacts with hosts, secondary clutch size and sex-ratio of each Trichogramma species were determined as well. The results show that sympatric Trichogramma may parasitize target and non-target species in different proportions. If this difference corresponds to the field situation, simple laboratory tests could be performed to select not only efficient biogical control agents, but also species which are the least detrimental to non-target hosts.