Comparative Study of Essential Oils and Insecticides on the Functional and Numerical Response of Trichogramma Pretiosum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) in Eggs of Neoleucinodes Elegantalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Reconciling chemicals and natural enemies is an attractive method for the management of Neoleucinodes elegantalis . This study aimed to evaluate the sublethal effects of Origanum majorana L. and Copaifera officinalis L. oils and the insecticides azadirachtin and deltamethrin on the functional and numerical response of Trichogramma pretiosum to different densities (2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64) of eggs from N. elegantalis . The type of functional and numerical response, search efficiency (a) and handling time (Th) were estimated by the Disc equation. Exposure to oils and insecticides influenced which type of functional response the parasitoid presented in relation to the pest, where azadirachtin had a type I response; O. majorana , deltamethrin and control type II and C. officinalis type III. Exposure to oils decreased handling time and attack rate in relation to the control; the insecticides, on the other hand, increased handling time and reduced the attack rate. For numerical response, exposure to oils and control, there was an increase in the rate of parasitized eggs in response to a greater supply of hosts. C. officinallis demonstrates to be more compatible when integrated with T. pretiosum , as it presented shorter manipulation time and higher attack rate, among the studied products.