Host Egg Parasitization and Development of Trichogramma brasiliens Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) in a Modified Illumination and Parasitization Chamber

An illumination chamber and a parasitization chamber was designed and modified for the mass multiplication of the egg parasitoid, Trichogramma brasiliense Ashmead on Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) egg cards. The illumination chamher maintained a light intensity of 100.3 lux and a maximnm and minimum temperature of 29 and 24° respectively, at the centre. The parasitization chamber consisted of a glass hox witb eight wire mesb supports inside to keep the egg cards. Placing two parasitization chambers inside the illumination chamber, 21 rnl of eggs could be exposed for parasitization at a time resulting in uniform parasitization of eggs. No specific pattern in parasitization was perceived between the layers of tbe chamber at different ratios and exposures. Estimation of egg parasitization at 4 selected locations constituting 0.22 per cent of tbe total area of the egg card was found ideal for sampling tbe level of overall parasitization in the egg cards. Exposure of mother to daughter cards in the ratio of 1:7 for 48 h in tbe parasitization chamber resulted in the optimum parasitization of the eggs by the parasitoid, higher percentage of adult emergence and less number of runts in the resultant progeny.