It is not known how the egg parasitoids Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) and Telenomus podisi Ashmead survive during winter in Southern Brazil, at mean temperatures between 12ºC and 15ºC. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate development and adult emergence when these parasitoids were stored at 15ºC for different periods in the egg, larval (first instar) or pupal stages. Dissections of parasitized eggs showed that both species were able to reach pupal stage after being stored as eggs or first instar larvae. However adults failed to emerge at 15ºC, except when transferred to the low temperature in the pupal stage. In this condition, adults of T. basalis took 25 days to emerge and T. podisi only emerged after 45 days, in rates higher than 80% for both species. Survival of T. podisi to the pupal stage was 60% and 85% when stored in the egg and larval stages, respectively, compared to 100% recorded for T. basalis stored either in the egg or in the larval stage. Returning the parasitoids to 25ºC after different storage periods at 15ºC allowed adult emergence in levels higher than 80% after 20 and 15 days after storage in the egg and larval stage, respectively. Longer storage periods however progressively reduced adult emergence in both species, and after 40 days at 15ºC for T. basalis and 50 days for T. podisi, no adults emerged after returning to 25ºC. The sex ratio was not significantly affected by storage at 15ºC for 30 days. However only females of T. podisi were able to emerge after remaining at 15ºC beyond 30 days in the egg stage or 35 days in the larval and pupal stages. The results show that T. basalis and T. podisi cannot complete their development at prevailing winter temperatures in Southern Brazil.
Insecta; biological control; cold storage; stink bugs; egg parasitoid
