What are Trichogramma wasps?

Trichogramma wasps are tiny parasites that attack the eggs of over 200 species of moths and caterpillars. They are extremely small – 4 or 5 will fit on the head of a pin. Trichogramma lays its eggs inside the eggs of moths preventing the moth egg from hatching into a caterpillar.

Where are Trichogramma wasps found?

Because of their size and habits Trichogramma escape the attention of most people. However, they are extremely important in pest management and are released on tens of millions of acres of crop and forest land around the world each year. They are ubiquitous and are found in many habitats, including aquatic habitats.

How do you release Trichogramma wasps?

Place a pinch of loose Trichogramma or a cardstock tab or piece of a tab of Trichogramma card. This gives emerging wasps energy to go out foraging for moth eggs, they may live up to four times longer and lay more eggs. Releasing adults is ideal when you can be ready to release when they are emerging.

How can you describe Trichogramma sp?

Trichogramma spp. are small wasps that are endoparasites of lepidopteran eggs. 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).

Why are Trichogramma wasps small compared to other wasps?

Trichogramma wasps are small because they are parasitoids of other insect eggs. Yes, there is actually a wasp out there that fully develops to adulthood inside a thrips egg. Basically, here is a snapshot of the life of a Trichogramma wasp. Adult wasps search for a host egg by smell.

What do Wasps look like in an egg?

Adult Trichogramma wasp parasitizing a moth egg so caterpillar isn’t born. Photo by Max Badgley. IDENTIFICATION: Adult wasps are 1/50″, yellow or yellow and black with bright red eyes, short antennae, and compact bodies. They look like gnats. A small hole in the host egg is visible if the wasps have emerged.

How does Trichogramma prevent caterpillars from hatching?

Trichogramma lays its eggs inside the eggs of moths preventing the moth egg from hatching into a caterpillar. This prevents the damage caused by the feeding caterpillars, and also breaks the life cycle of the pest, effectively preventing the pest from reproducing. In some species of moth up to 5 parasite eggs may be laid in each moth egg.

How does Trichogramma pretiosum find a suitable host?

Despite its miniscule size — 1mm or less — Trichogramma pretiosum is an efficient killer of some 200 undesirable insects. It uses smell to determine the suitability of a host for deposit of its egg. Wasps emerging from a destroyed egg note its smell and use it to find another suitable host.