The egg parasitoid Telenomus sp. as a novel biocontrol agent to prevent the cabbage moth

Abstract

This work, which is part of a project called Biocomes (www.biocomes.eu), focuses on the control of the cabbage moth Mamestra brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) through mass release of the egg parasitoid Telenomus sp. (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). In the first year of the project we conducted different experiments to undercover aspects of the biology of this egg parasitoid that could help the creation of an efficient rearing system. Parallel we developed a species specific primer for the molecular species determination. Here we will present the most important results.

Keywords: Telenomus sp., biological control, biology, primer development