Journal of Insect Science (2013) 13 (106), 1-8

Alan Kergunteuil, César Basso and Bernard Pintureau (2013)
Impact of two ant species on egg parasitoids released as part of a biological control program
Journal of Insect Science 13 (106), 1-8
Abstract: Biological control using Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), an egg parasitoid wasp, was tested in Uruguay to reduce populations of lepidopteran pests on soybeans. It was observed that the commercial parasitoid dispensers, which were made of cardboard, were vulnerable to small predators that succeeded in entering and emptying the containers of all the eggs parasitized by T. pretiosum. Observations in a soybean crop showed that the only small, common predators present were two ant species. The species responsible for the above mentioned predation was determined from the results of a laboratory experiment in which the behavior of the two common ants was tested. A modification of the dispensers to prevent introduction of this ant has been proposed and successfully tested in the laboratory and in the field.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Alan Kergunteuil, Cesar Basso

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
application technology

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Anticarsia gemmatalis	Soybean (Glycine max)	Uruguay
	Rachiplusia nu	Soybean (Glycine max)	Uruguay
Trichogramma pretiosum (parasitoid)	Anticarsia gemmatalis	Soybean (Glycine max)	Uruguay
Trichogramma pretiosum (parasitoid)	Rachiplusia nu	Soybean (Glycine max)	Uruguay