Document Type : Complete paper
Authors
1
Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
2
Professor Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
3
Associated Professor, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
4
Department of Psychology, California State University, Fresno, USA
5
Student, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
6
MSc. Student, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
Abstract
Learning host or prey-related olfactory cues may lead to increase efficiency and foraging capacity of biocontrol agents such as Trichogramma egg parasitoid wasps in nature. The egg parasitoids, Trichogramma species (Hym., Chalcidoidea, Trichogrammatidae), are most commonly and important biocontrol agents that have successfully been utilized against several lepidopteran pests, especially through inundative releases. Worldwide, over 32 million hectares of agriculture and forestry have been treated annually with Trichogramma for controlling various insect pests. Wolbachia is endosymbiotic bacterium induces parthenogenesis in Trichogramma wasps and producing female offspring. This research was conducted to study learning ability of Wolbachia infected T. brassicae to Lemon and Peppermint odors by wind tunnel under controlled conditions. According to obtained results, wasps showed significant difference in responses to conditioned and unconditioned odors. Memory duration of conditioned wasps lasted till 12 hours after conditioning. Odor learning ability recognition of biocontrol agents such as T.brassicae may result in increment of their efficiency in applied biological control programs.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)
