Studying the effect of the insect host on some biological characteristics of the parasitoid Trichogramma cacocaie marchal under laboratory conditions

The parasitoid Trichogramma cacoeciae Marchal, 1927 was reared in an artificial environment on eggs of three insect hosts of the order Lepidoptera, namely the Mediterranean flour moth Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), the carob moth Ectomyelois ceratoniae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and the codling moth Cydia pomonella L. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in order to select the appropriate host for the quantitative laboratory rearing of this parasitoid. The results showed that the preferred host for rearing the parasitoid in the laboratory was the eggs of the codling moth, because the duration of the different stages and the complete generation on this host was shorter than on the two hosts, the carob moth and the Mediterranean flour moth. The sex ratio was also the highest possible and in favor of females when reared on the eggs of the codling moth, the percentage of parasitism was the highest possible on the eggs of the codling moth. The percentage of parasitism mortality was the lowest possible on the codling moth compared to the other two hosts. Therefore, it can be concluded that the laboratory rearing of the parasitoid in an artificial environment is preferable to be on the eggs of the codling moth, compared to the other two hosts.