Improving mass rearing of the egg parasitoid Telenomus remus

Rearing insects in the laboratory is of fundamental importance for obtaining pure quality biological material for basic or applied entomological studies as well as pest control in the field. Therefore the aim of this work was to promote the selection of flying Telenomus remus during mass rearing in the laboratory and to compare morphometric patterns and biological characteristics over 15 generations as well as the influence of different food sources on the parasitoid's biology with a view to mass production of insects with better performance in the field.