Determination of behavioral parameters affecting performance of mass-produced some egg parasitoid Trichogramma spp.

In this study, behavioral parameters affecting the field performance of three different Trichogramma species used in biological control (Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko, T. evanescens Westwood and T. pintoi Voegele) were examined with four different methods. Flight ability, host orientation, host search and host acquisition behaviors were examined. In flight ability studies conducted with the jar (cylinder) experiment, it was observed that among individuals, those who preferred to walk were more than those who preferred to fly, and there was no significant difference between species in terms of flying and walking.The studies conducted with the Y-tube olfactometer experiment, the effects of host number (10, 100, 1000) and age (0-24, 24-48, 48-36 hours) on the orientation of Trichogramma females were studied. In the study, as the number of hosts increased, orientation increased for all three species. At the same time, increasing host age caused a decrease in orientation. In studies conducted with the maze test, the host search behavior of experienced and inexperienced females were tested. For all three species, no significant difference was observed between the distribution of distances traveled by experienced and inexperienced females in the maze. Finally, in the host acquisition behavior experiment, it was understood that the responses of female parasitoids when they encountered the host differed between species. Four different methods discussed in this study; it has the potential to be used in the selection of natural enemies, establishing and measuring behavioral quality criteria and improving their performance.