The introduction of a biological control agent can have significant effects on natural enemies that use the same host. Interspecific competition between natural enemies can impact the efficacy of control and, consequently, is the subject of increasing research scrutiny. Three experimental approaches were used to evaluate competitive outcomes between Gonatocerus ashmeadi and G. triguttatus paras...

Eggs of Ephestia kuehniella (Zeller), Cadra cautella (Walker) and Plodia interpunctella (Hübner) are host parasitoid Trichogramma pintoi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) which is used in biological control pests. In this study, the species egg age preferences were determined parasitization performance adult female T. pinto. For preference, 1, 2, 3 4 days old eggs from three different hosts give...

The morphological changes experienced during the immature stages of the solitary parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Opiinae) were studied. This natural enemy of several species of tephritid fruit flies is widely used in biological control strategies. Immature stages are poorly understood in endoparasitoids because they exist within the host. In the prese...

Egg dispersion and the sex ratio of progeny were studied in relation to the host density of the parasitoid, Bracon hebetor Say, infesting larvae of Plodia interpunctella (H . ubner). Females appeared to allocate eggs in relation to host density to avoid laying more eggs than could complete development on a host. The dispersion pattern of the parasitoid ovipositions among hosts was influenced by...

Immune defense is energetically costly, and thus an effective response requires metabolic adaptation of the organism to reallocate energy from storage, growth, and development towards the immune system. We employ the natural infection of Drosophila with a parasitoid wasp to study energy regulation during immune response. To combat the invasion, the host must produce specialized immune cells (la...

Backround: Helicoverpa armigera is major maize pest, while Conopomorpha cramerella cocoa main insect pest. Their larvaes lie in corn cob and pulp which can be controlled using egg parasitoids. Methods: Exploring H. eggs on female flowers a plant along the 50 m line at 10 points with 4 distance to obtain C. cramrella. Egg parasitoids were obtained by taking from cacao pod, Corcyra cephalonica tr...

Egg parasitoids play an important role in biological control of pest species attacking and killing their hosts at early stage development. During the antagonistic coevolution with hosts, egg have developed a great ability to locate host using chemical cues. A considerable amount literature is available on this topic, while nothing known about possible adaptation topography mechanical properties...

Biological control using Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), an egg parasitoid wasp, was tested in Uruguay to reduce populations of lepidopteran pests on soybeans. It was observed that the commercial parasitoid dispensers, which were made of cardboard, were vulnerable to small predators that succeeded in entering and emptying the containers of all the eggs parasitized...