Page 72 - AG 7-2011 Revised 2016

1.Antenna- geniculate 6.Thorax- yes Trichogramma
2.Eyes- compound 7.Petiole- none
3.Head- short and concaved 8.Abdomen- yes 1
4.Legs- 6 9.Color- gray
5.Wings- 2 pair 10.Other- three segmented tarsi 6

Life Cycle 4
Eggs are laid in moth eggs. Within a few days of hatching, the new adult
Trichogramma wasps will chew their way out of the moth eggs and begin 85
looking for more moth eggs on nearby plants. They have a voracious appetite,
and will keep eating any eggs that are found. Drawing by Andrew Schaible

Among the many species of parasites that are available, one of the most useful in the
garden are Trichogrammas, or, as some call them, the Tricky Grandmas. These are stingless
Egg Wasps which attack the eggs of moths and then prevent the egg from hatching into a
destructive caterpillar. They are among the smallest of insects in the world, only about 1/32nd
of an inch in length.

Trichogrammas can be purchased on the same type of card as lacewings, but instead of
the moth eggs being dead, they each have the pupa of a Trichogramma in them. Each strip of
Trichogrammas has about 18,000 of the stingless wasps on it, or about 3,000 per tab. Because
they can fly (and because there are so many more of them), a tab of Trichogrammas will cover
about 100 square feet of garden or planter bed. They can be placed out once a month during
the spring and early summer, which will usually be enough to suppress any major caterpillar
infestations. Trichogrammas really are the answer for any moth infestation problems.

1.Antenna- filiform (beadlike) 6.Thorax-black color Encarsia Formosa
2.Eyes- compound 7.Petiole- none
3.Head-large and wide 8.Abdomen- yellow color 5
4.Legs- 6 9.Color-black and yellow
5.Wings- 2 sets 10.Other- complete metamorphosis 16

Life Cycle 3
Adult females puncture the body of the host with their ovipositor and lay the 2
eggs. Eggs that are laid into nymphal whiteflies will hatch into larvae that feed
on the nymph and grow through three larval instars before killing the host. Drawing by Andrew Schaible
Some whitefly nymphs will turn dark brown or black about a week after being
parasitized, and their skin forms a pupal case for the parasite. Like many
whitefly parasites, Encarsia formosa will leave a circular hole with black feces in
the host remains. There can be 4-6 generations per year.

Encarsia formosa are extremely tiny parasitic wasps. Females have a dark brown to black
head and thorax, and a bright yellow abdomen. Males are dark in color, but are rarely seen.
They are beneficial in that they are parasitic on many whitefly species. They are frequently
used for control of whiteflies in greenhouses, for floricultural and nursery plants, strawberries,
and tomatoes. They are also useful against scale insects that are attacking peaches, plums,
nectarines, almonds, grapes, walnuts, and cherries.

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