Trichogramma evanescens

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Trichogramma evanescens
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Trichogrammatidae
Genus: Trichogramma
Species:
T. evanescens
Binomial name
Trichogramma evanescens
Westwood, 1833

Trichogramma evanescens is a 0.5mm long [1] parasitoid wasp which parasites Lepidoptera eggs.

Use for biocontrol

In the Philippines this parasitoid has been used to eradicate the Asian Corn Borer, a pest of maize in East Asia. Some companies sell this insect in the pupal stage to be deposited in fields that have Lepidoptera pests. [2]

In 2021 the National Trust in England embarked on a trial of using T. evanescens, which parasitises clothes moth eggs, in conjunction with pheromones to control common clothes moths, which cause serious damage to carpets, furniture, clothing and other wool and silk objects in historic buildings. [3] The trial was abandoned in 2023; while the microwasps performed well at reducing moth populations in combination with pheromones, they were no better than pheromones alone. [4]

Related Research Articles

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Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also involves an active human management role. It can be an important component of integrated pest management (IPM) programs.

<i>Lymantria dispar</i> Species of moth

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parasitoid</span> Organism that lives with its host and kills it

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tachinidae</span> Family of insects

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ichneumonidae</span> Family of wasps

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<i>Cyzenis albicans</i> Species of fly

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<i>Cydalima perspectalis</i> Species of moth

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<i>Copidosoma</i> Genus of wasps

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<i>Tamarixia radiata</i> Species of wasp

Tamarixia radiata, the Asian citrus cyllid parasitoid, is an hymenopteran wasp from the family Eulophidae which was discovered in the 1920s in the area of northwestern India (Punjab), now Pakistan. It is a parasitoid of the Asian citrus psyllid, an economically important pest of citrus crops around the world and a vector for Citrus greening disease.

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<i>Agrypon flaveolatum</i> Species of wasp

Agrypon flaveolatum is a species of parasitoid wasp belonging to the family Ichneumonidae described by Johann Ludwig Christian Gravenhorst in 1807. It is a parasite of the larva of the winter moth, and has been used in biological pest control to control this moth, whose larvae feed on foliage and defoliate trees.

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References

  1. "Blickling Hall: Wasps deployed to protect mansion from moths". BBC News. 17 February 2021.
  2. De Liñán, Carlos (2010). Vademecum de productos fitosanitarios y nutricionales (in Spanish). pp. 146–147.
  3. "Conservation at Blickling Hall, Norfolk". National Trust. 2022.
  4. "'Surprising' clothes moths slump of nearly 40% across National Trust houses, possibly helped by record heat and drought, charity's annual insect pests report finds" (Press release). National Trust. 13 February 2023.