S. Ya. Reznik, N. D. Voinovich, and T. Ya. Umarova

Comparative Behavioral Analysis of Ovipositing Females
and Females with Egg Retention in Trichogramma principium
Sug. et Sor. (Hymenoptera, Trichogrammatidae)

Entomological Review, Vol. 81, No. 8, 2001, pp. 895–903.
Translated from Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie, Vol. 80, No. 3, 2001, pp. 545–556.

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Comparative behavioral analysis of Trichogramma principium Sug. et Sor. females parasitizing or refusing to parasitize eggs of the grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella Oliv., was conducted in laboratory conditions. As expected, the behavioral differences between parasitizing and refusing females are mostly manifested in the reaction to a host. The data obtained suggest that the arrestment reaction to the host sharply arises as a switch from egg retention to parasitization behavior, rather than develops gradually. Differences in the activity and vertical distribution are less pronounced when a host is present, and are insignificant under host deprivation. Analysis of daily behavioral rhythms demonstrates that experienced females start oviposition earlier than females that have not yet parasitized any host.