Research Facilities

Mass production of Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) to product natural enemies for biological control

The laboratory production of parasitoids and predators for biological control of a large number of key pests depends on a factitious host, such as Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), that provides eggs in enough quantity and quality to produce biological control agents at reduced costs. Adult state and egg collection require continuous manipulation, significantly influencing efficiency and production costs. The biological and technological studies carried out in University of Azores led us to obtain by means of electronic processing the recuperation of the adults combining tropisms and aerodynamics techniques, through ventilation and aspiration of the cylinders of posture, centralized harvest of the eggs after cleaning by separation of the scales and the blockage in the embryonic state by irradiation with UV. A continuous processing of adults with no manipulation is carried out, from adults emergence to the eggs recovery, with the high quality needed for mass production of entomophages.

Coordinators: João António Cândido Tavares, Maria Luísa de Melo Oliveira

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.3/1008