RESPONSE OF EGG PARASITOID Telenomus podisi (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) TO DIFFERENT CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL STIMULI

Abstract

The egg parasitoid Telenomus podisi Ashmead, 1983, is recognized as an important biological control agent for using host eggs of stink bugs of the Pentatomidae family. Parasitoids find eggs through chemical and physical stimuli directly or indirectly related to the host. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of different stimuli on the hosts search and selection behavior of T. podisi female. The experiments were conducted in a double-choice arena, and the treatment was contrasted with the control (arena arm without stimuli). When the evaluated stimuli were volatile, an air circulation system was used in the arena. The treatments evaluated were 1) herbivory-induced volatile in soybean plants, 2) 2,6,10 methyl trimethyltridecanoate, a component present in Euschistus heros (Fabricius, 1798) sex pheromone, 3) footprints of E. heros females released in the arena while walking 4) vibration produced by E. heros females and 5) yellow color. In the different experiments the measured parameter was the residence time. In all treatments evaluated, the parasitoid residence time was longer in the treatment areas than in the control areas. These results corroborate previous work that showed that egg parasitoids are attracted by direct or indirect host-related stimuli. With the established methodologies for a better understanding of the behavior of T. podisi the stimuli will be evaluated in different combinations, checking if there is synergy or additive effect between them, since in nature they do not occur in isolation.