Recurrent warming to improve cold storage of Trichogrammatids (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Cold storage can be used to slow development, facilitate accumulation of the organisms and accommodate fluctuating demand for augmentative biological control agents. Previous research suggested the possibility of improving cold storage of Trichogrammatids by recurrent warming, so we subjected Trichogramma ostriniae juveniles within Ephestia kuehniella host eggs to either 2°C constant or to 2°C with twice-weekly recurrent warming for 3 h to 20°C. Parasitoid subsamples were allowed to mature for 1–9 days before placement in cold storage for up to 8 weeks. Parasitism by parentals, progeny emergence and fecundity and longevity of progeny were measured weekly for 8 weeks. Relative to constant 2°C, recurrent warming generally improved emergence, fecundity and longevity, and all the response variables were affected by the interaction of temperature regimen, parasitoid maturity class, and cold storage duration. This implies the utility of recurrent warming to improve egg parasitoid performance and for extending the duration of cold storage.     

Dispersal of Trichogramma ostriniae in field corn

Trichogramma ostriniae has shown success as a biological control agent for European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) in sweet corn and the species offers potential for suppression of lepidopteran pests of field corn. Field corn is typically planted at higher densities, is taller, and has greater leaf area than sweet corn, presenting a possible restriction on T. ostriniae dispersal and efficacy. Therefore, parasitoid dispersal in field corn from the centre of a 6.25 ha square grid was determined using sticky cards to capture adult T. ostriniae and sentinel eggs of O. nubilalis to monitor parasitism after releases of ~1 million of T. ostriniae each into four fields of corn. Dispersal was rapid and extensive, achieving distances of ~175 m within 4–7 days after release. The pattern of movement fit well with a diffusion model of dispersal, with the greatest level of dispersal occurring from 7 to 10 days post-release. Parasitism of O. nubilalis sentinel egg masses declined linearly with distance from the release foci, and was also greatest 7–10 days post-release. However, measurement of association showed no significant differences between the spatial distributions of sticky trap captures and percentage parasitism of O. nubilalis egg masses. The distances from the release point that encompassed 98% of re-captured T. ostriniae increased over time and were estimated to range from a low of 100 m at 4 days post-release to 365 m at 14 days post-release. The results of this research suggest that T. ostriniae relies initially on random movement to locate host patches, and that a single release locus per hectare would be sufficient in field corn.     

Terminal speed and size sorting of insect eggs

Engineering data for improving the design of applicators for beneficial insect's eggs and facilitating egg cleaning at mass-rearing plants are presented. A vertical air column was developed to measure terminal speed of beneficial insect eggs. Raw material was sorted into fractions according to terminal speed and photos were taken for measuring dimensions of particles. Particle distribution was evaluated for two beneficial insect eggs used in biological control (Chrysoperla rufilabris and Ephestia kuehniella eggs parasitized by Trichogramma brassicae) and for one unparasitized host eggs (E. kuehniella). Density measurements were performed as these data were required for calculating terminal speeds using the theory of free falling bodies. Unparasitized E. kuehniella and C. rufilabris eggs stored at 5°C showed constant terminal speed (1.9 and 1.34 m/s, respectively) and density (1.05 g/cm³, for both). Terminal speed of parasitized E. kuehniella eggs decreased from 1.32 to 1.06 m/s with increasing storage time (4-8 days). Photos of subsamples suggested that aerodynamic cleaning could be used for improving the quality of raw eggs. Density evaluations showed that parasitized eggs can be separated by flotation in water. Calculated terminal speeds were accurate for unparasitized eggs but were 10-20% overestimated for parasitized eggs.     

9个水稻栽培种和1个水稻组培种对稻螟赤眼蜂和赤眼卵蜂的互利作用（英文）

采用培养皿法对营养生长期和开花期的9个水稻栽培种（Pusa Sugandh-2, Pusa Basmati-1, Pusa-2511, Pusa Basmati-370, Pusa-1077, Karnal Local, PRR-78, Jaya, Pusa-1238）和1个组培种（Culture No.34）的正己烷提取物进行了生测,以调查它们对稻螟赤眼蜂Trichogramma japonicum Ashmead和赤眼卵蜂Trichogramma chilonis (Ishii)平均寄生活性指数（PAI）和平均寄生百分率的影响。将不同水稻品种的正己烷提取物进行气相 液相色谱,来测定饱和碳氢化合物。其中,营养生长期的Pusa Sugandh-2叶片提取物激发两种寄生蜂产生最大的反应,平均寄生率最大。而开花期的Pusa Basmati-1使两种寄生蜂的平均寄生率最高。对营养生长阶段的叶片提取物进行的气相 液相色谱分析表明：Pusa Sugandh-2 含有25个碳原子(C25) 和29个碳原子 (C29)的2种化合物。对开花期的叶片提取物进行的气相 液相色谱分析也表明：Basmati-1 含有25个碳原子(C25)、26个碳原子(C26)和29个碳原子 (C29)的3种化合物,可激发寄生蜂产生最大的反应     

Quantification of Wolbachia copy number in Trichogramma eggs (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae): Lysozyme treatment significantly improves total gene yield from the Gram-negative bacterium

The Wolbachia bacterium is one of the most prevalent endosymbionts of arthropods. The bacterium is known to induce four distinct reproductive manipulations in its various hosts; namely, cytoplasmic incompatibility, feminization, male killing and parthenogenesis induction. The bacterial titer has been thought to have an important role in expression of these phenotypes. Although host eggs of the bacterium are the place where all of the manipulations take place, in most cases, they are not big enough to be subjected to mechanical disruption to extract genetic materials from them. Furthermore, DNA extraction protocols generally involve washing steps in which part of the DNA is lost. With the simple three step digestion protocol we developed, we were able to preserve the whole genome and measure the titer of Wolbachia in individual Trichogramma eggs by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which was comparable to the titer by visual observation.     

稻螟赤眼蜂对二化螟和台湾稻螟的控制潜能评价

为了明确稻螟赤眼蜂种群增长力与水稻螟虫种群增长力之间的关系和评价稻螟赤眼蜂的控害能力,通过生命表方法,组建了二化螟和台湾稻螟在水稻上的实
验种群生命表,以及稻螟赤眼蜂在二化螟卵和台湾稻螟卵上的生殖力表,测定了稻螟赤眼蜂对两种螟虫卵的寄生能力.结果表明：二化螟和台湾稻螟的世代历期（T）分别为56.40 d和47.80 d,内禀增长率（r_m）分别为0.0489和0.072.稻螟赤眼蜂在二化螟卵和台湾稻螟卵上的平均T分别为9.75 d和9.78 d,r_m分别为0.3161和0.3154.通过比较分析稻螟赤眼蜂与两种螟虫的实验种群生命表参数,可知稻螟赤眼蜂能够有效控制两种水稻螟虫,赤眼蜂种群增长力相对于螟虫种群是超前而不是跟随关系.     

Oviposition and offspring survival within eggs of European corn borer: discrimination of the host embryo by female Trichogramma nubilale

Oviposition preference and offspring survival relative to the location of the host embryo was tested in the egg parasitoid Trichogramma nubilale on European corn borer host eggs. Females preferentially oviposited near to the embryo on hosts about 24 h old. Survival of Trichogramma was lower when females oviposited far from the embryo, and a higher proportion of host embryos hatched. Females did not show preferences for drilling or oviposition within very young hosts relative to where the embryo would develop, and these eggs did not produce wasps or host larvae. Female behavior was apparently adaptive in day-old hosts, not to very young hosts.     

Déterminisme de la couleur des hôtes parasités par Trichogramma fuentesi

Résumé A Cuba, les oeufs h?tes parasités parTrichogramma fuentesi Torre (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) deviennent soit noirs, soit marrons. Une série de croisements entre Trichogrammes a permis de montrer que le déterminisme de ce caractère est sous la dépendance d'un locus portant deux allèles: Bh, dominant, confère une couleur noire à l'h?te; bh, récessif, confère une couleur marron. L'allèle bh étant plus fréquent dans la région orientale de Cuba, la plus chaude, nous avons suivi l'évolution des fréquences des deux allèles dans des populations expérimentales polymorphes placées à 23 °C et 30 °C. Dans toutes les conditions testées, bh a été désavantagé par rapport à Bh, sauf à 30 °C lorsque sa fréquence initiale était élevée (90%). La température n'explique donc certainement pas à elle seule le maintien du polymorphisme à Cuba.

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In Cuba, during its larval development inside its host egg,Trichogramma fuentesi turns its host egg either black or brown. Crossings carried out between the two forms ofT. fuentesi allowed to show that this character is determined by one locus with two alleles: Bh, dominant, colours the host black; and bh, recessive, colours the host brown. The bh allele is more frequent in the eastern region of Cuba which is also the warmest, than in the western region. We studied the evolution of frequencies of the two alleles in different experimental polymorphic populations at 23 °C and at 30 °C. In all tested conditions, bh was at a disadvantage by comparison with Bh, except at 30 °C when its initial frequency was high (90%). Thus, temperature alone should certainly not explain the maintenance of the observed polymorphism in Cuba.

     

不同生境中马尾松毛虫赤眼蜂中间寄主研究(英文)

本文讨论了马毛松毛虫赤眼蜂在混交林、纯林及疏残林三种不同生态环境条件下的中间寄主。试验是在湖南省东部的浏阳县进行。研究结果表明松毛虫赤眼蜂共有103种中间寄主;一年中有两个危险期,在危险期内只有少量的中间寄主存在。     

The effect of parasitization by Trichogramma australicum on Helicoverpa armigera host eggs and embryos

Histological investigations of the pathology of Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) eggs after attack by the egg parasitoid, Trichogramma australicum (Girault), indicate that the developing embryo is immediately killed by envenomation. Soon afterward the histological staining characteristics of parasitized host embryos change and the embryonic germ band dissociates into a mass of individual rounded cells. Hosts attacked by females sterilized by gamma-irradiation showed the same pathological effects as normally parasitized hosts, indicating that host degeneration is due to female venom rather than factors derived from the parasitoid embryo or larva. Cell death also occurred in older host embryos although tissue breakdown was delayed. These findings have allowed us to determine not just that the host dies but what happens to the cells and tissues, i.e., their physical appearance, the time course of their degeneration, and that the process is retarded in older hosts. These processes can possibly be emulated in artificial diets.