Sampling of Trichogramma species on Cucurbitaceae and associated plants in Martinique: a first step towards biological control (Hymenoptera, Trichogrammatidae)

Cucurbitaceae represent an important part of the vegetable production in Martinique. One of the main pest on these crops is the melonworm, Diaphana hyalinata. With the final objective of defining sustainable strategies for the management of this pest with low quantities of pesticides, an inventory of the Trichogramma egg parasitoids was conducted in 2014 on the island. This survey was implemented using two methods, the use of sentinel eggs of Ephestia kuehniella and collections of natural egg clutches. Based on molecular information, two species were finally observed, Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879, and T. chilonis Ishii, 1941. Based on this survey, a strain of T. pretiosum was mass-reared using Corcyra cephalonica and used for first promising inundative releases.