i.Biol. Control, 9 (l), 43-44, 1995 Acceptance of the Teak Defoliator Hyblaea puera (Cramer) (Lepidoptera: Hyblaeidae) by Two Exotic species of Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) v.v. SUDHEENDRAKUMAR, S.K. JALALI* and S.P. SINGH* Kerala Forest Research Institute Peechi 680 653, Trichur, Kerala, India Natural control of the teak defoliator, The nucleus cultures of the two parasi toids Hyblaea puera Cramer by a large number of were obtained from the Project Directorate of larval and pupal parasitoids has been reported Biological Control, rCAR, Bangalore and mul­ (Chatterjee and Misra, ]974; Sud­ tiplied on the eggs of Corcyra cephalonica heendrakumar, 1985). However, only very very (Staint). H.puera eggs were available from the little information IS available on egg host cultures maintained in the laboratory. parasitoids of the teak ~efoliator (Beeson, Fresh eggs of H.puera were collected and glued 1941; Nairetal.. 1994). on to 3xl em white card pieces. Cards holding eggs @ 4,10, 20 were prepared. Each egg card Based on a laboratory study, Ahmad (1989) was exposed to one mating pair of the reported acceptance of H.puera eggs by three parasitoid in a glass vial (lOx3 cm). For each species of Trichogramma , namely T.chilonis experiment, 10 repl icates were used. After 24h (=australicum) Ishii, T.brasiliensis Ashmead of exposure of the parasitoids, the eggs were and T.japonicum Ashmead. In the present taken out and kept under observation until paper, the acceptance of H.puera eggs by two parasitoids emergence to determine the per­ arboreal species of Trichogramma under centage parasitism. In another experiment, the laboratory conditions is reported. These two effect of age of the host egg on the accept­ species were selected under the assumption ability by the parasitoids was studied. Fresh that their arboreal nature would be ad­ eggs and one day old eggs were used for the vantageous when employed for biocontrol study. Ten eggs were exposed to one mating programme in a tall tree crop system like teak. pair of the parasitoids. For each parasitoid ten Table 1. Parasitisation by T. embryophagum and T. dendrolimi under differentparasitoid-host egg ratio Mean percentage parasitism Parasiloid Parasi toid-host egg ratio Mean 1:4 I: 10 1:20 T. embryophagum 95.0 80.0 60.5 78.5 (75.23) (55.08) (38.21) (56.17) T. dendrolimi 82.S 63.0 58.5 68.0 (60.05) (39.32) (36.11) (45.16) Mean 88.8 71.5 59.5 (67.64) (41.19) (37.16) Figures in parentheses indicate angles corresponding to percentage. CD. (P:::0.05) Parasitoid (16.36 ) Parasitoid-host ratio (12.74) Imeraction Not Significant * Project Directorate of Biological Control. HA Farm Post Office. Banga\orc 560 024 44 SUDHEENDRAKUMAR et al. Table 2. Effect of age of host egg on percentage The study showed that H.puera eggs are parasitism accepted by T.embryophagum and Percentage parasitism T.dendrolimi under laboratory condition. How­ ever, further experiments are warranted before Parasitoid Age of egg recommending these arboreal Trichogramma Fresh One day old species for field release for the control of the T. embryophagum 75.0 13.0 (54.32) (7.49) teak defoliator. T. dendrolimi 60.0 17.0 (37.01) (9.8 I) KEY WORDS: Hyblaea puera, egg parasitoids, Trichogramma Mean 67.5 15.0 (45.66) (8.85) emb ryo phag urn, T.dfmdrolimi Figures in parentheses indicate angles corresponding to percentage ACKNOWLEDGEMENT C.D. (P=0.05) The work was carried out as part of a Parasitoid ( 19.16) project funded by the Department of Biotech­ Parasitoid-host ratio (33.46) nology, Govt. of India. Thanks are due to Interaction (33.46) Mr.K.Mohandas and Smt. P.Rugmini, KFRI for assisting in the laboratory and helping to carry replicates were used. The data were trans­ out the statistical analysis respecti vely. formed into corresponding angles (arc. sin REFERENCES "percentage) and subjected to analysis of variance using SPSS statistical software pack­ AHMAD, M. 1989. Potentiality- of egg parasites, Trichogramma spp. against defoliator pest of age. teak, Tectona grandis .. In: Proceedings of the "Seminar on plant protection", July 1989, FRI, The results of the first ex.periment indi­ Dehra Dun, pp. 1-4. cated that the percentage parasitism was sig­ BEESON, C.F.C 1941.Ecology and control of forest nificantly different between the two parasitoid insect pests of India and neighbouring species and between the three paraitoid-host countries. 1961 Reprint, Govt. of India. 767 pp. ratios. However, the interaction between the CHATTERJEE, P.N. and MISHRA, M.P. 1974. parasitoids and the parasitoid-host ratio was Natural enemy and plant host complex of forest non significant. Parasitism caused by insect pests of Indian region. Indian For. Bull., 265, 133. T. embryophagum (Hartig) was significantly higher than that of T.dendrolimi Matsumara SUDHEENDRAKUMAR, V. V. 1985. Studies on the natural enemies of the teak pests Hyblaea puera and highest parasitism occurred under the and Euteclona machaeralis. KFRI Research parasitoid-hot ratio of 1:4 (Table 1). Report NO.38, Kerala Forest Research Institute. NAIR, K.S.S., MOHANDAS, K., and SUD­ The second experiment indicated that the HEENDRAKUMAR, V.V .. 1994. Biological percentage parasitism was significantly higher control of the teak defoliator Hyblaea puera on fresh eggs than on one day old eggs. Percent­ Cramer (Lepidoptera: Hyblaeidae) using insect age parasitism caused by T.embryophagum was parasitoids: Problems and Prospects. Paper presented in the seminar on "Biological control significantly higher than that caused by of insects of social and plantation forests", En­ T.dendrolimi The interaction betwecn thc egg tomolugy Research Institute, Loyola College, age and the parasite species was also sig­ Madras, pp. 25-26, February 1994. nificant (Table 2). .