Effect of Cold Storage of Trichocard on Adult Emergence and Parasitization of Trichogramma chilonis

The present study was carried out to identify the ideal temperature for proper storage of trichocards prepared from host egg Corcyra cephalonica parasitized by T. chilonis (Ishii). The effect of differential temperature on adult emergence of T. chilonis and parasitization on stored Corcyra eggs was assessed. Parasitized trichocards as well as non-irradiated eggs of C. cephalonica were maintained at 4±1°C, 8±1°C, 10±1°C and 12±1°C. The trichocards maintained at 10±1°C for 15 days resulted in highest per cent adult emergence of 73 percent which declined to 57.5 percent by 35 days of storage. By 45 days of storage, the temperatures of 4±1°C and 8±1°C recorded the highest adult emergence of 50.50 and 51.80 per cent respectively. Highest efficiency of parasitization (92.3%) was achieved by the parasitoids emerged from trichocards maintained at 4±1°C which significantly decreased with increase in temperature and duration of storage. Influence of storage of C. cephalonica eggs was observed to be significant with highest per cent parasitization on Corcyra eggs stored at 4±1 for 15 days which declined thereafter. The temperatures of 4±1°C and 10±1°C were found conducive for storage of parasitoid trichocard and eggs of C. cephalonica.