- Chemical control has been one of the most widely used methods for weed mana gement in corn. However, the use of herbicides can cause adverse effects on beneficial insects, such as egg parasitoids. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the selectivity of 12 herbicides regis tered for corn at the immature stages of Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) under laboratory conditions (temperature 25±1 o C, relative humidity 70±10%; photoperiod 14 hours). The herbicides were diluted in a proportion of 200 L of water per hectare and sprayed on lepidopteran eggs containing immature forms of the parasitoids, at the egg-larva, prepupae and pupae stages. The emergence percentage of parasitoids was evaluated, and, when compared with the control, the herbicides were classified as harmless (class 1, <30% reduction in emergence), slightly harmful (class 2, 30-79%), moderately harmful (class 3, 80-99%) and harmful (class 4, >99%). The herbicides Agrisato 480 SL, Finale, Glifos, Glifosato Nortox, Gliz 480 SL, Polaris, Roundup Original, Roundup Transorb, Roundup WG, Trop and Zapp Qi were classified as harmless (class 1) at different immature stages of T. pretiosum, and considered selective to the parasitoid. Although harmless at the egg larva and prepupae stages, Gramoxone 200 was classified as slightly harmful (class 2) at the pupae stage. Accordingly, to better reconcile the che mical management of weeds with the biological control of insects, the use of herbicides allowing greater survival of T. pretiosum is suggested, whenever possible.
biological control; chemical control; side effects; egg parasitoid; toxicity; Zea mays
