Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae
Identification
• These wasps are tiny (< 1/16 inch long). Identification to species
is difficult.
Host Range
• Trichogramma are egg parasites and attack only the host’s eggs.
• Each Trichogramma species attacks a characteristic range of prey
that is limited more by the size and shape of a host egg than the host
species.
Life Cycle
• An adult female lays one or a few eggs in a host egg (the larger
the host egg the more eggs laid). A wasp larva hatches and feeds inside
the host’s egg. After pupating within the egg, the adult emerges. The development
from egg to adult takes only a few weeks.
Other Information
• Trichogramma are the most widely used wasps for biological control,
with many species available for purchase. Each species has a certain
host range and use.