Environmental Entomology (1988) 17, 664-670

Rami Kfir and H. van Hamburg (1988)
Interspecific competition between Telenomus ullyetti (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and Trichogrammatoidea lutea (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) parasitizing eggs of the cotton bollworm Heliothis armiger in the laboratory
Environmental Entomology 17 (4), 664-670
Abstract: Competition tests were carried out in the laboratory between the parasitic wasps Telenomus ullyetti Nixon and Trichogrammatoidea lutea Girault on eggs of the bollworm Heliothis armiger (Hübner). In most cases when a freshly laid Heliothis egg was multiparasitized by Trichogrammatoidea lutea and Telenomus ullyetti, regardless of which species parasitized it first, the aggressive mandibulate larva of Telenomus ullyetti with its large sickle-shaped mandibles eliminated the larvae of Trichogrammatoidea lutea. Temperature played a major role when populations of both species were forced to compete at different temperatures, relative humidities, and photoperiods on a limited resource. Trichogrammatoidea lutea populations always won at 28°C, 50% RH, and 14 : 10 (L:D) photoperiod, and Telenomus ullyetti at 22°C, 70% RH, and 10:14. At an intermediate range of 25°C, 60% RH, and 12:12 photoperiod, no advantage was shown by either species, and the outcome was probably due to chance.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Rami Kfir

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Helicoverpa armigera	Cotton (Gossypium)	South Africa
Trichogrammatoidea lutea (parasitoid)	Helicoverpa armigera	Cotton (Gossypium)	South Africa
Telenomus ullyetti (parasitoid)	Helicoverpa armigera	Cotton (Gossypium)	South Africa