Why we use Corcyra eggs for multiplication?

Many of the natural enemies mass-bred in the laboratory for use in field against crop pests are dependent on either egg or larval stages of Corcyra due to the simple reason that it is easier and cheaper to produce natural enemies on different stages of Corcyra(Fig. 1) than on their original hosts.

How long will it take to mass produce Trichogramma SP and its host corcyra Cephalonica?

The egg, larval and pupal stages of Page 2 Trichogramma at 28 ± 2oC are completed in about 1 day, 3 to 4 days, and 4 to 5 days respectively. Thus, the life cycle is completed in 8 to 10 days, but it may be prolonged at lower temperatures or hampered at very high temperatures.

How many eggs of Corcyra are there in one cc?

One CC of Corcyra eggs contains approximately 18,000 eggs . About 100 pairs of Corcyra moth (50 % female) produce 1.5 cc of eggs during their egg laying period of 4 days. From each Corcyra rearing basin an average of 2,500 moths emerge.

How do you make Trichogramma?

1. The moth starts emerging on 40th day.
2. Bring the boxes ready for moth emergence and collect moths inside the net by glass tubes.
3. Transfer the moths to egg laying chamber.
4. Provide cotton soaked 20% honey+ vitamin E solution as adult food in the egg laying chamber.
5. Collect the eggs daily.

What is the life span of Trichogramma?

7-75 days
Total life span may be 7-75 days depending upon temperature, relative humidity and species of moth parasitized. There may be 30 or more generations per season. Trichogramma is shipped as parasitized moth eggs fixed to cardboard sheets. Each sheet holds about 125,000 Trichogramma.

How does Trichogramma work?

Trichogramma are tiny wasps that kill the eggs of Lepidoptera by laying one or more of their own eggs inside the much larger eggs of Lepidoptera. The Trichogramma egg hatches into a small larva, which feeds on the inside of the moth eggs, killing it.

How many eggs are in one card of Trichogramma?

Trichogramma is supplemented in the form of cards. One card contains approximately 20,000 eggs.

Why Corcyra eggs are exposed to UV rays before Parasitization?

The eggs laid by the Corcyra moths are collected and sieved to remove the moth scales etc. The pure eggs thus obtained are exposed to ultra-violet light in UV chamber to kill the host embryo but at the same time permit parasitization.

What is the use of Trichogramma?

Trichogramma are essential for controlling moth species which affect agricultural plants at some point during the growing season. Moths are adult insects that usually feed on nectar produced by plants and honeydew produced by certain insects.

What are the advantages of using Trichogramma?

The major advantage of Trichogramma species as biological control agents is their extremely small size; adult egg-parasitoids measure only 0.3 mm in length, making them virtually invisible to the casual observer (Fig. 9). Trichogramma spp.

Can Trichogramma wasps fly?

Because of the exceptional well developed sense of smell the tricogramma finds the eggs of food moths and parasites these. The ichneumon wasp cannot fly and is therefore only effective in a limited area (1 tricho card per shelf).

How many caterpillar pests will the Trichogramma can control?

Target Pests: Over 200 pest moth species (armyworms, borers, cutworms, fruit worms, leaf worms, leaf worms, leaf rollers, loopers etc.) eggs can be destroyed by Trichogramma.

What is the mass rearing of Corcyra cephalonica?

The mass rearing of the laboratory host, Corcyra cephalonica has been started in the RKVY biocontrol laboratory during March, 2010. The eggs of Corcyra produced in mass are used for the multiplication of the egg parasitoids,

What is Corcyra cephalonica used for in India?

Whereas in India ,rice grain moth,Corcyra cephalonica is used as the laboratory host. 4. STEPS IN CORCYRA PRODUCTION: The quantities of sorghum/pearl millet/maize grain, free from insecticides, are coarsely milled and broken into 4-5 pieces in a milling machine.

What are the steps in Corcyra production?

STEPS IN CORCYRA PRODUCTION: The quantities of sorghum/pearl millet/maize grain, free from insecticides, are coarsely milled and broken into 4-5 pieces in a milling machine. The broken grains are heat sterilized at1000C for 1 hour to eliminate the residual population of stored product insect. 5.

What is the larval rearing process of Corcyra?

In the first step of larval rearing, 120 three day old chrysopid eggs are mixed with 0.75 ml of Corcyra eggs (the embryo of Corcyra eggs are inactivated by keeping them at 2 ft distance from 15 watt ultraviolet tube light for 45 min) in a plastic container (27x18x6 cms). On hatching, the larvae start feeding.