Intraspecific Plasticity in Egg Parasitoid, Trichogramma Chilonis Ishii (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

A reciprocal cross was performed between two parental lines of egg parasitoid, Trichogramma chilonis Ishii, after a preliminary screening to assess the intraspecific variations and the consistency of the strain based on indicative fecundity, progeny production and percent progeny female production levels. It was observed that there was a significant gain in the indicative fecundity and percent progeny female level in the heterogametic crosses (AM x BF and BM x AF) in F₅ generation. In the second experiment, eight different crossing patterns were followed and a significant increment in all the three attributes in each generation notably in heterogametic cross was observed; however, this case was not on par with overall progeny production. There was no significant difference between homozygous and the heterozygous crosses among the back cross and hence either of them could be used in the process to secure improvement in the female progeny number over generations. Neither female biased (arrhenotoky) nor male biased (deuterotoky) progeny was encountered in the study.