A comparative approach for life history and functional response demonstrates similar survival strategies for Trichogramma evanescens and T. pintoi

• Published in: Pest management science 2024-11, Vol.80 (11), p.5630-5639
• Main Authors: Tonğa, Adil, Erkek, Mustafa, Ali, Jamin, Fathipour, Yaghoub, Özder, Nihal
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; attack coefficient; Biological control; Density; Eggs; Fecundity; Female; Handling; handling time; Host-parasite interactions; Larva - growth & development; Larva - parasitology; Larva - physiology; Life history; Life History Traits; life table; Longevity; Male; Moths - growth & development; Moths - parasitology; Moths - physiology; Oviposition; Ovum - growth & development; Ovum - physiology; Parameters; Parasitism; parasitism efficiency; Parasitoids; Pest control; Pest Control, Biological; Pests; Polynomials; Population growth; Reproduction; Species Specificity; Survival; Tables (data); Trichogramma evanescens; Wasps - physiology
• ISSN: 1526-498X; 1526-4998; 1526-4998
• DOI: 10.1002/ps.8278

BACKGROUND Egg parasitoids are important biological control agents of lepidopteran pests of agricultural crops. Trichogramma evanescens Westwood and T. pintoi Voegele (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) are egg parasitoids with worldwide importance. The parasitoid selection necessitates comparative assessment of the life table traits and functional response analysis to provide insights into their effectiveness in pest control. In this study, we examined their life table traits including survivorship and reproductivity, and functional response and associated parameters i.e., attack coefficient and handling time. RESULTS Life table parameters, using age‐stage, two‐sex theory, revealed similar survival and reproductive strategies for both species. For example, the female longevity, oviposition days and fecundity did not differ between both species. Exceptionally, the male longevity of T. evanescens was shorter than that of T. pintoi. The population growth parameters such as gross reproductive rate (GRR), net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), and mean generation time (T) did not differ between species. The polynomial logistic regression yielded a type III functional response and a non‐linear least square analysis revealed different attack coefficient and similar handling time. However, their parasitism rate differed between the lowest (five eggs) and highest (80 eggs) initial host egg densities such that T. evanescens had a lower parasitism rate at the lowest density and higher parasitism rate at the highest density. CONCLUSION The similarity in survival strategies and minor differences in host handling of both parasitoids are discussed in terms of relevance to applied biological control applications and evolutionary traits. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. Similar life table strategies for two Trichogramma species: T. evanescens and T. pintoi. Both species exhibited similar type III functional response curves. Attack coefficient of T. pintoi was higher than that of T. evanescens. Handling time did not differ between both species.