Parasitism of the Coffee Berry Borer Hypothenemus hampei by Trichogramma pretiosum in the Laboratory.

Parasitism of the coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) by Trichogramma pretiosum Riley resulted in high mortality of developing parasitoids and a low prevalence of adult emergence. A laboratory colony of T. pretiosum reproducing in H. hampei failed after three generations. Adult female T. pretiosum that developed in H. hampei were smaller and produced fewer eggs than conspecifics that developed in a standard lepidopteran host, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier). Parasitoids that emerged from H. hampei preferentially parasitized S. cerealella over H. hampei. We conclude that T. pretiosum has little potential for biocontrol of the coffee berry borer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]