Changes in Functional and Numerical Responses of the Parasitoid Wasp Trichogramma brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) Over 45 Generations of Rearing on Ephestia kuehniella

We assessed the functional and numerical responses of Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko under long-term rearing (45 generations, G5-G45) on eggs of a common factitious host, Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). Under such long-term mass rearing, the function response of this parasitoid shifted from Type III (from G5 to G20) toType II (from G25 to G45).The maximum attack rate (T/Th) (33.62 hosts/day) and the shortest handling time (0.7138 ± 0.0272 h) were recorded in G5. Also, G45 had the lowest attack rate (21.67 hosts/day) and longest handling time (1.1076 ± 0.0689 h). The handling time increased gradually over the generations (P reg