Biological aspects of Trichogramma foersteri Takahashi, 2021 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) reared on a factitious host to the management of Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith, 1797) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

• Grant number: 24/18098-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Carolina Reigada Montoya
• Grantee: Leticia Martins Parra
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ)
• Associated research grant: 18/02317-5 - Center for Excellence in Biological Control, AP.PCPE

Abstract

Augmentative biological control (ABC) is based on the release of thousands of natural enemies and is one of the pillars of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) used to reduce the population of insect pests, such as the Spodoptera complex, whose high reproduction and resistance to insecticides require new control techniques. Egg parasitoids, such as the Trichogramma genus, are essential tools in IPM, as they control pests from the beginning of their development (egg stage), preventing severe damage to crops. To consolidate ABC programs, it is necessary to establish large-scale rearing of both the parasitoid and the host, and the use of factitious hosts is essential to reduce costs without compromising the quality of the insects produced. In Brazil, only two species of Trichogramma are registered for commercialization, highlighting the importance of prospecting for new species. Between 2017 and 2018, researchers found a new species called Trichogramma foersteri (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) parasitizing eggs of Anticarsia gemmatalis (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) and laboratory tests showed its high parasitism in lepidopteran pests, including Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). In addition, the species causes non-reproductive mortalities, such as pseudoparasitism, which prevents caterpillars from hatching and contributes to pest reduction. This study aims to evaluate the biological, morphometric and behavioral aspects and the pseudoparasitism of T. foersteri reared on Ephestia kuehniella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and S. frugiperda, in addition to field dispersal studies focusing at controlling the fall armyworm, a key pest in Brazilian agriculture. (AU)