Lepidopteran pests in vegetable cultivation have already been controlled for decades with Trichogramma parasitic wasps. These lepidopteran pests are also found in the cultivation of ornamental plants or in the display gardens under glass. The species occurring in the tropical greenhouse differ, however, according to plant community and operation. The climatic conditions are often similar so that Trichogramma is also increasingly used here. Some pests appear more frequently now like the European pepper moth Duponchelia fovealis and in the last years increasingly also the tomato looper Chrysodeixis chalcites.
Especially display gardens or zoological gardens with a lot of visitors or zoo animals benefit from the biological pest management as the use of beneficial insects can take place without residues and disturbances during operation. As with the use in horticultural greenhouses, Trichogramma parasitic wasps complete the established range of beneficial insects in the biological pest control.
Newly imported or introduced lepidopteran pests increasingly occur. In our laboratory we test their possible control with Trichogramma and develop appropriate control concepts. If necessary, it is also possible to use a mixture of different Trichogramma parasitic wasps against the different damaging moths occurring in the tropical greenhouses.
