Effect of using pritchardia dates honey as a nutritive source on the quality of trichogramma evanescens (hymenoptera : trichogrammatidae)‎

Abstract EN

Experiments were carried out to determine the effects of date’s honey of Pritchardia spp.

palm as a new nutritive source for adults of Trichogramma evanescens (Westwood) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae).

Certain nutritive solutions were tested (pure bee honey, pure sugar cane honey, 10% sucrose solution and water compared with this new source.

Fecundity, longevity, percentage of parasitoid emergence, percentage of females in progeny and general productivity were investigated.

Obtained results revealed that, parasitoids fed on Pritchardia date honey parasitized the highest number of Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) eggs (65.2 egg/female), lived longest period (6.05 days) and recorded the highest adult emergence (97.45%) comprising the highest ratio of females in progeny (78.45%).

Control females parasitized the lowest number of S.

cerealella eggs (30.7 eggs/female), they lived the shortest life span (1.75days), and resulting in the lowest adult emergence (77.1%) comprising the lowest percentage of females in progeny (61.95%).

Generally, feeding trichogrammatids on Pritchardia date honey resulted in the highest productivity (49.85 females/female, while the lowest productivity (14.66 females/female) was calculated from the unfed ones.