The potential for augmentative biological control of Plodia interpunctella by Trichogramma pretiosum in retail environments was addressed in a combination of field and laboratory trials. Field trials were conducted in four small businesses in Manhattan Kansas in which one half of field sites received T. pretiosum releases and the other half did not. Field sites included two pet food stores, a ranch supply store, and a packaged foods store. Laboratory trials including video tracking of foraging behavior as well as trials examining the effects of host egg density, spatial arrangement, and environmental structural features on egg parasitism were used to assess maximum foraging area for single T. pretiosum females. Preliminary data for multiple year trials is presented.
Species 1: Hymenoptera Trichogrammatidae Trichogramma pretiosum (Trichogramma)
Species 2: Lepidoptera Pyralidae Plodia interpunctella (Indian Meal Moth)
Keywords: foraging behavior, host patches
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