Most predators, in general, have generalist habits and can be used as biological control agents in several crops. Predator survival is affected by several factors, such as occurrence of parasitoids. The main purpose of this research was to identify the parasitoids of chrysopids, especially egg parasitoids and their level of parasitism. The samples were taken in a sweet-corn field at Embrapa Hortaliças from September/1997 to February/1998. The chrysopids eggs were collected weekly and then individualized in gelatine capsules until larval or parasitoid emergency. A total of 800 eggs were collected. The predator emerged from 71% of the eggs, 9% were inviable eggs and the other 20% were parasitized by six species of microhymenopterans. Among these, 57% were parasitized by Telenomus sp. (Scelionidae), 32% were parasitized by Trichogramma pretiosum (Trichogrammatidae), 6% by Oencyrtus chrysopae Crawford (Encyrtidae) and 5% by Aprostocetus sp. (Eulophidae).
vegetables; parasitoids; biological control; predator