I am moving single trichogramma around (for sexing, mother-son mating, experiments etc), and have experimented with just waiting for them to climb up small tubes (but then it can be hard to get them out again), using an eyelash, or an aspirator (but this is proving not optimal, the one I made anyway)... what is everyones experiences, and anyone found an effective, and time-saving, technique?
Many thanks in advance!
Hi, I have had a look in this paper, but cannot see anything about techniques for individually handling the wasps? Only that they did... ?
Many thanks
Hi Jitte,
I have been experimenting with thin tubing and pipette tips, but not yet found one where they effectively get blown out again, they kept getting stuck in the air moisture...i shall try with a balloon today! Otherwise I will speak to the guys in Wageningen when I am there next week! Thanks a lot!
Sophie
Sophy,
we have since the 1980s used the natural tendency of the wasps to look for light above them. So put a population of Trichogramma into a container with a soft plastic lid or a stopper (made of sponge material you cut) to introduce one of these manually made not graduated pipette with a long capillary end. Now wrap the pot and the beginning of the gross end of the pipette with dark tissue or aluminum paper to get it real dark in the container and point the capillary part to a lamp above. You quickly see the wasps come out into the glass tube where at the top they have to cue in the capillary. With a stopper (Knete or cork) you hinder them to get out. Now you can sex them looking at the antenna, then you let escape the ones you don't want (or smash them between your fingers) and let simply walk the others into a tube put over the pipette exit. It is easy, they do what you want (no need for an exauster). Good luck! Viel Erfolg !
Hi,
I did similar trials. Both pipette-tip and phototaxis methods are useful. I think you will manage what you want with come practice. Good luck!
I tried phototaxis, one side of tube was black and it was so useful.
Dear Sophie, please ask or call Annette Herz from JKI Institute for Biological Control in Darmstadt, Germany. Among many other things she's really an expert in Trichogramma rearing, handling and general experimentation. I'm sure she will be glad to help you. Good luck with your research! Jaka
Dr. Carola Meierrose suggested a good technique however, as suggested dr. Bruno Zachrisson Dear Dr. Sophie Chattington, good aspirators are commercially available at reasonable prices, for such type of delicate work you must select a suitable one and buy. anyway to deal small fragile insect, a tube with one end closed mash cloth (with very thin mash size)and the other end attached with a low power suction air system provides good opportunity to deal with such tiny fragile insects without touching them.
You can use natural phototropism that insects have, this is how I handled my wasps. Just use a light source and approach your tube, the insect will be attracted to it and will move.
An aspirator with small tube diameter (something like 0,5cm) should work for an insect this size. For bigger flies sometimes a vaccuum with a piece of cloth blocking the inlet is used: insects are dragged against the cloth and released when the vaccuum is turned off.
Thank you for your answers! I am trying the phototropism technique currently...otherwise have those of you who use aspirators found a good one, or a good vacuum or pump to attach to it? I have found some companies that sell them, but all in the US.... as just sucking and blowing creates too much humidity in the tube for this insect (this is what I always used to do for other insects, but nothing this small!
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