Temperature Effects on the Development and Reproduction of Three Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) Species Reared on Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Eggs

The cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a generalist species and an important pest of Brassicaceae worldwide. Egg parasitoids are a feasible alternative for the control of this species. We evaluated the suitability of T. ni eggs as hosts for three Trichogramma Westwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) species and their tolerance to survive and develop within a range of temperatures between 15 and 30 °C under laboratory conditions. The species evaluated were Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, Trichogramma atopovirilia Oatman and Platner, and Trichogramma acacioi Brun, Moraes and Soares. Parasitism rate was affected by temperature, parasitoid species, and by the interaction between these two factors. Parasitoids developed and reproduced in the range of temperatures evaluated, but Trichog. acacioi failed to parasitize T. ni eggs at 30 °C. The highest parasitism rates of Trichog. atopovirilia and Trichog. pretiosum occurred at 20 and 25 °C and Trichog. acacioi at 25 °C, with parasitism rate above 70% in the three species. Parasitoid emergence was not affected by temperature or species. The estimated thermal constant and lower temperature threshold were 134.6 DD and 10.6 °C for Trichog. pretiosum and 130.1 DD and 11.2 °C for Trichog. atopovirilia. The results demonstrated that Trichog. pretiosum and Trichog. atopovirilia are the most suitable species for the control of T. ni, as they can remain active throughout the year in subtropical regions.