In VitroRearing ofTrichogramma minutumRiley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) for Ten Generations, with Quality Assessment Comparisons ofin Vitroandin VivoReared Adults,

Trichogramma minutumRiley were reared for 10 generations on an artificial diet containing a yeast extract, FreeAmine III, nonfat dry milk, chicken egg yolk, chicken embryo extract, andManduca sexta(L.) egg liquid. Quality control parameters, including adult longevity, sex ratio, pupation rate, percentage of pupae to emerge as adults, adult female body length, number ofHelicoverpa zea(Boddie) eggs parasitized by a female, and percentage of deformed females were assessed and compared to insects rearedin vivoon irradiatedH. zeaeggs. The development time was longer forin vitroreared insects, but there were more deformed females in thein vitroculture. The sex ratio, however, was generally not significantly different between thein vitroandin vivocultures. Thein vitroreared females generally were larger, lived longer, and parasitized moreH. zeaeggs. Emergence of adults was in excess of 75% in all but the firstin vitrogeneration and was generally not significantly different from adult emergence in thein vivoculture. These findings will be of value in the development of a practical system forin vitromass rearing ofTrichogrammafor use in biological control.