Effects of Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) egg age, density, and UV treatment on parasitism and development of Trichogramma cacoeciae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae).

Integrated pest management (IPM) supports the integration of all rational control methods available. Biological control is one of those control methods. Thus, the influence of Lobesia botrana Den. and Schiff. egg age, density, and sterilization by UV light on parasitism and progeny development of a Trichogramma cacoeciae Marchal strain from La Rioja, Spain, was studied. Understanding this influence is important for the development of biological control programs. UV-killed eggs are widely used for mass rearing Trichogramma. Trichogramma cacoeciae preferred young eggs (0-72 h old), and the largest number of progeny were produced from these eggs, especially from 48- to 72-h-old eggs. The relationship between the number of eggs parasitized by T. cacoeciae and its density (within the range studied) was linear (R (2) adjusted = 0.93), with constant values (72.2-93.7%) for discovery rate (an estimator of searching capacity). UV treatment did not affect the number of progeny produced or parasitism tendency and was thus a helpful tool for the mass-rearing process. Based on its response to egg age and density, our T. cacoeciae strain showed potential for control of L. botrana.