Abstract
A 12μm-thickness low density polyethylene ⌈PE⌋ film without fatty acid ester was good for manufacturing artificial eggs for rearing Trichogramma sp. Ten μm-thickness high density PE, parafilm® (American Can Co Ltd), Fuji Sealon film (Fuji photofilm Co. Ltd) and Urethane resin film were not suitable for processing artificial eggs. 20-30μm thickness PE was good for processing, but Trichogramma wasps could not penetrate their ovipositors into them. Trichogramma wasps laid their eggs into a 12μm-PE artificial egg. Their larvae and pupae grew inside filled with culture medium containing 2.5ml of pupal fluids of Mamestra brassicae, 1.5ml of cow milk, 1.0ml of egg yolk, and 0.5ml solutions of mineral elements. The number of oviposited eggs was 55 among 58 tested ones. An average number of larvae grown inside an artificial eggs was 18.5, 5% of oviposited eggs could become adult with swollen abdomen and shrunk wings.
