SESAMIA SPP. )LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE عليه ساقه خواران نيشكر )HYMENOPTERA: TRICHOGRAMMATIDAE( TRICHOGRAMMA BRASSICAE BEZDENKO مطالعه بيولوژيك و ارزيابي كارآيي

Biological studies and assesment of Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hymenoptera:Trichogrammatidae) against Sesamia spp. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The efficiency of Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) (reared on Heliothis zea Boddie eggs) as parasitoid of the sugarcane stem borers; Sesamin cretica Led. and S. nonagrioides botonephaga T. & B., was assessed under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Data on seven biological characteristics are presented. The laboratory results showed that T. brassicae reared on H. zea eggs parasitized 50 % of S. cretica eggs compared to 58% eggs of S.nonagrioides. In T. brassicae rearedon S. cretica eggs percentages of emergence (87%), female progeny (71%), deformed females (2.5%), longevity (2.3% d), and developmental time (8.6 d) did not differ signficantly from those reared on H zea eggs (93, 69%, 3.2%, 2d and 8.5 d, respectively). However, the body length (0.39 mm) of T brassicae femles reared on S. cretica eggs was greater than those reared on H. zea (0.33 mm). In the greenhouse conditons, T. brassicae paraitized an average of 56.4% of the S. cretica eggs distributed on the sugaracane plants. About 21.6% of the eggs were dessicated, probably due to puncturing by the parasitoid, compared to 4.1% in the control treatment. Results showed that Trichogramma has the potential in controling sugarcane stalk boreres in a field IPM program and sustainable agriculture.