| As a factitious host of the biological control agent Trichogramma chilonis Ishii, Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) egg was often sterilized by UV and then stored in low temperature to satisfy the mass production of T. chilonis. Effects of cold storage of C. cephalonica eggs on the quality of T. chilonis offspring were evaluated in the present paper by investigating the longevity, parasitization, survival rate, and life table parameters of T. chilonis offspring emerged from the sterilized C. cephalonica eggs stored at 4 °C for 15, 30, 45, and 60 days, respectively. Results showed that few T. chilonis adults emerged from the C. cephalonica eggs stored for 60 days. Compared with the fresh C. cephalonica eggs, the longevity of T. chilonis offspring (F1) females decreased, and the parasitization also exhibited a similar tendency but a slight increase in the treatment with cold storage of 30 days. The highest emergence rate and female rate were both occurred in the cold storage period of 15 days, and a decrease in 30 days and 45 days in comparison with control. The life table parameters including the net reproductive rate (R0), the intrinsic growth rate (rm) and the finite rate of increase (λ) also decreased, whereas the average generation time (Tc) and the population doubling time (T2) increased with the prolonging cold storage period to some extent. It could be concluded that the cold storage of C. cephalonica eggs affected the quality of T. chilonis offspring and the refrigerated C. cephalonica eggs at 4 °C especially exceeding 45 days should be cautiously utilized in the mass production of T. chilonis. |
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