Trichogamma Wasp Essay

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Aly Pulford, Summer 2011 Trichogramma Wasps: Fighters of garden foes Beneficial Insects Insects are not the most glamorous of all animals on earth, and often receive disgust from their fellow earth habitants: humans. But there are some six-legged creatures that deserve praise for their predatory skills that not only keep their species alive, but benefit farming and gardening humans all over the earth. One of these beneficial insects is the trichogramma wasp. The trichogramma wasp, a member of the especially diverse hymenoptera order, measures only 0.18mm in length as an adult, has a narrow abdomen, short antennae and red colored eyes. This wasp has two pairs of wings and an ovipositor on the female. The wings of the trichogramma differ from the typical membranous winged moth, as the trichogramma wings are short with long fringy hairs. Regardless of its small size, this parasitic wasp is a professional destroyer of the eggs of over 200 species of leaf-eating moths and butterflies. During the course of the female’s 10-day life, she seeks out potential host eggs, to lay her own eggs in, by picking up their scent. Once a suitable host egg is found, she measures the egg with her antennae to determine how many eggs of her own she can lie inside. Next, she punctures the host egg with her ovipositor. This is an important step for a few reasons. The female can determine whether the egg is suitable by feeling around to inspect the health and freshness of the egg. If it suits her well, she then deposits her own egg into the host. The trichogramma larvae hatches and consumes the egg yolk and insect embryo. After host Pulford 2 egg consumption, the wasp completes larval development and pupates. After the pupal stage, the adult trichogramma chews through the outer layer of the host egg, smells the host egg from which it came, records that scent and flies

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