ABSTRACT
Biological characteristics ofTrichogramma pretiosumRiley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) strain bonagota with three ages on eggs of Bonagota salubricola (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) at five embryonic developmental stages was studied under laboratory conditions (25 ± 1º C, 70 ± 10% of relative humidity and 14 hours of photophase). B. salubricola eggs with 0–24, 24–48, 48–72, 72–96, 96–120 hours of embryonic developmental stages were offered to T. pretiosum during 24 hours using parasitoid females with 0–24, 24–48 and 48–72 life hours. Parasitoid females with age of 0– 24 hours showed a higher parasitism rate in eggs of B. salubricola with 24–48 hours of embryonic development. Females with age of 24–48 and 48–72 hours, showed a preference for eggs with 0– 24 hours of embryonic development. Adult emergence and sex ratio ranged from 20.0 to 60.0% and from 0.56 to 0.85 respectively. The number of parasitoids/egg was always more than one, ranging from 1.03 to 1.14. The ideal for a biological control program of B. salubricola using T. pretiosum strain bonagota is to use parasitoids with a maximum of 24 hours of age.
KEY WORDS
Brazilian apple leafroller; egg parasitoid; apple tree