insectaries and voracious parasitizing habit on eggs of target hosts (Cônsoli et al.
2010). More than 70 species of Trichogramma are used in the world, but only
20 species are mass reared to use in agroecosystems. In Europe, just five species out
of 126 are artificially produced (Pintureau 1991b) while, in Iran only T. brassicae is
augmented and limitedly used in field scale. Trichogramma species are used in
biological control programs of some known insect pests including cotton bollworm,
Helicoverpa armigera Hübner, European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner),
rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis Walker, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda
Smith, cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg), cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni
(Hübner), codling moth, Cydia pomonella Linnaeus, carob moth, Spectrobates
ceratoniae Zeller and some related species (Doyon and Boivin 2005; Cônsoli et al.
2010; Altoé et al. 2012; Paraiso et al. 2012).
In Iran, extensive application of Trichogramma spp. was conducted at past two
decades. Trichogramma spp. mainly used against rice stem borer, C. suppressalis
eggs in North of Iran. An estimate of the released area by Trichogramma spp. in Iran
is not straightforward. Based on the available data, nowadays up to 187,000 hectares
of seven field crops and fruit orchards are treated by them against rice stem borer,
cotton bollworm, European corn borer, carob moth and codling moth (Attaran and
Dadpour-Moganlou 2011).
6.3 Importance of Egg Mortality
Trichogrammatidae and other egg parasitoids are idiobionts (Wajnberg and Hassan
1994). They kill their hosts at commence of development prior to any damage to
vegetation. An attacked host egg lives only in early stage, and dies soon while host
egg reduces to a developmental substrate for Trichogramma larvae. This is a big
advantage for a natural enemy to reduce pest population before injury. This sequence
of impact may also allow proper timing of sequential application of larvicidal
insecticides and/or larvivorous predators or parasitoids following to Trichogramma
release programs.
6.4 Iranian Species and Their Target Moths
Faunistic studies on Trichogramma in Iran began by Shojai and his colleagues in
1984 (Shojai et al. 1990). They collected and identified a rich fauna of native
Trichogramma species in vast agricultural ecosystems such as rice, corn, cotton,
pomegranate, cabbage etc. in north, center and west of Iran by an essential cooperation of Dr. Voegele. Supplementary studies on morphological and enzymatic
characteristics of Trichogramma species was then conducted by Kahani (1998)
and Ebrahimi (1991). Just four genera of Trichogrammatidae were identified in
Iran. Trichogramma is the richest one in terms of number of species. Furthermore,
200
S. Iranipour and N. Vaez
2010). More than 70 species of Trichogramma are used in the world, but only
20 species are mass reared to use in agroecosystems. In Europe, just five species out
of 126 are artificially produced (Pintureau 1991b) while, in Iran only T. brassicae is
augmented and limitedly used in field scale. Trichogramma species are used in
biological control programs of some known insect pests including cotton bollworm,
Helicoverpa armigera Hübner, European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner),
rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis Walker, fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda
Smith, cactus moth, Cactoblastis cactorum (Berg), cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni
(Hübner), codling moth, Cydia pomonella Linnaeus, carob moth, Spectrobates
ceratoniae Zeller and some related species (Doyon and Boivin 2005; Cônsoli et al.
2010; Altoé et al. 2012; Paraiso et al. 2012).
In Iran, extensive application of Trichogramma spp. was conducted at past two
decades. Trichogramma spp. mainly used against rice stem borer, C. suppressalis
eggs in North of Iran. An estimate of the released area by Trichogramma spp. in Iran
is not straightforward. Based on the available data, nowadays up to 187,000 hectares
of seven field crops and fruit orchards are treated by them against rice stem borer,
cotton bollworm, European corn borer, carob moth and codling moth (Attaran and
Dadpour-Moganlou 2011).
6.3 Importance of Egg Mortality
Trichogrammatidae and other egg parasitoids are idiobionts (Wajnberg and Hassan
1994). They kill their hosts at commence of development prior to any damage to
vegetation. An attacked host egg lives only in early stage, and dies soon while host
egg reduces to a developmental substrate for Trichogramma larvae. This is a big
advantage for a natural enemy to reduce pest population before injury. This sequence
of impact may also allow proper timing of sequential application of larvicidal
insecticides and/or larvivorous predators or parasitoids following to Trichogramma
release programs.
6.4 Iranian Species and Their Target Moths
Faunistic studies on Trichogramma in Iran began by Shojai and his colleagues in
1984 (Shojai et al. 1990). They collected and identified a rich fauna of native
Trichogramma species in vast agricultural ecosystems such as rice, corn, cotton,
pomegranate, cabbage etc. in north, center and west of Iran by an essential cooperation of Dr. Voegele. Supplementary studies on morphological and enzymatic
characteristics of Trichogramma species was then conducted by Kahani (1998)
and Ebrahimi (1991). Just four genera of Trichogrammatidae were identified in
Iran. Trichogramma is the richest one in terms of number of species. Furthermore,
200
S. Iranipour and N. Vaez