Trichogramma pretiosum Riley (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) is a tiny natural egg parasitoid of several agricultural pest insects, which has been widely used in the biological control for Plutella xylostella, Helicoverpa armigera, Spodoptera frugiperda and Ectomyelois ceratoniae. However, limited studies have been conducted on T. pretiosum olfactory system, which is critical in regulating insect behaviours. In this study, T. pretiosum adult antennae were investigated under ascanning electron microscopy (SEM). Four types of olfactory sensilla were observed, including chaetica sensilla (CS), trichoid sensilla (TS), faleate sensilla (FS) and placoid sensilla (PS). Using T. pretiosum genome, 22 putative odorant binding proteins (OBPs) and 105 odorant receptors (ORs) were identified, which were further compared with olfactory genes of Apis mellifera, Nasonia vitripennis and Diachasma alloeum. The expression patterns of OBPs between T. pretiosum male and female adults were examined by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) approaches. Three female-specific OBPs (TpreOBP19, TpreOBP15 and TpreOBP3) were identified, which may play crucial roles in T. pretiosum host-seeking and oviposition behaviours. This study enriches our knowledge of T. pretiosum olfactory genes and improves our understanding of its olfactory system.
Keywords: Trichogramma pretiosum; expression profile; insect olfaction; odorant binding protein; odorant receptor.