Influence of Short Term Exposure to Different Temperatures on Key Biological Parameters of Trichogramma chilonis Ishii under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

Laboratory studies on the influence of short term exposure to different temperatures on the biological parameters of Trichogramma chilonis Ishii revealed that 25 ± 1°C was most suitable for almost all the biological parameters, viz., developmental period, adult emergence, number of parasitized eggs per female, female longevity and sex ratio. However, adult emergence, no. of parasitized eggs per female and female longevity were affected adversely when the egg and larval stages of T. chilonis were exposed to higher temperatures beyond 30 ± 1°C, 40 ± 1°C being the most detrimental temperature, whereas the pupal stage was found relatively tolerant.