Tarbiat Modares University Journal of Crop Protection 2251-9041 7 3 2018 09 01 How does host quality affect oviposition rate and diapause in sexual and asexual Trichogramma brassicae?  چگونگی اثر کیفیت میزبان بر میزان تخم‌گذاری و دیاپوز زنبورهای دوجنسی و تک‌جنسی Trichogramma brassicae  315 325 1396 10.48311/jcp.2018.1396 EN Somayeh Rahimi-Kaldeh Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. Ahmad Ashouri Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. Ali Reza Bandani Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran. Journal Article The egg parasitoids of the genus <em>Trichogramma</em> have become one of the most important economic insects, for they are widely used in biological control of Lepidopteran key pests. For that reason, all aspects of their mass production including diapause have been considered over the last few years. In this study, the effect of host quality on the diapause induction of sexual and asexual <em>T. brassicae</em> Bezdenko (Hym: Trichogrammatidae) have been investigated at two temperatures. Maternal generation developed at two distinct temperatures (14 and 20 °C) and they oviposited on four different qualities of <em>Ephestia kuehniella</em> Zeller (Lep: Pyralidae) eggs including fresh eggs, frozen eggs, host eggs with developing embryo and low quality eggs. Data analysis revealed significant influence of temperature and host quality on diapause induction in both sexual and asexual strains. Maximum diapause happened in host eggs with developing embryo even though they were in fetal development. A higher level of diapause was observed in <em>T. brassicae </em>whose maternal generation had developed at 20 °C. The diapause induction in asexual <em>T. brassicae </em>was less than sexual wasps. The results imply that <em>Wolbachia</em> causes a disturbance in the diapause process. The outcomes of this study, which are new, indicate the complexity of diapause and the importance of factors such as host quality which have received less attention in diapause induction. https://jcp.modares.ac.ir/article_1396_0966289037ad9846c5e994be2a91bafa.pdf