Effect of cold storage of Corcyra eggs on its preference by egg parasitoid Trichogrammatoidea bactrae

Abstract

The present investigation entitled “Effect of cold storage of Corcyra cephalonica eggs on its preference by egg parasitoid Trichogrammatoidea bactrae” was carried out to evaluate the acceptance of T. bactrae to cold storage periods of the host, Corcyra cephalonica eggs. The UV sterilized eggs stored at 4 °C for 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 days, before exposing to the parasitoid T. bactrae. Per cent parasitization and per cent adult emergence were investigated. Eggs stored for 0 days storage interval means fresh eggs without cold storage showed 98.5% parasitization and 96.5% adult emergence. Storage period of 5 days showed highest per cent parasitization and per cent adult emergence of 96.5% and 93.8% respectively. Increasing storage period to 10, 15, and 20 days reduced the per cent parasitization to 79%, 67.5%, and 62.5% and per cent adult emergence to 90.4%, 86% and 76.2% respectively. This finding suggests that the storage period of C. cephalonica eggs, at 4 °C upto 5 days is favourable for mass rearing of T. bactrae.