[Estrategias para seleccionar especies de Trichogramma para su uso en control biológico]

Abstract

The Trichograma genus comprises more than 100 species. As evidence is accumulating that considerable variation between species exists, especially with respect to host preference, searchinq capacity and tolerance to weather conditions, more attention is being given to the selection of suitable candidates for use in biological control. Approaches used to select strains for use in biological control are discussed and standard procedures to compare candidate Trichogra strains are suggested. These procedures are based on laboratory (host preference and suitability), semi-field (searching capacity) and field (efficacy) experiments. Results of experiments to select effective parasite species to control severas lepidopterous pests are given. The used of internationally approved standard methods to select effective species would make the comparison of results from different laboratories in different parts of the world possible. A catalogue of the attributes of different parasite species should be produced