Periodical release of non-viable refrigerated eggs of Riptortus pedestris (Fabricius) has been found to enhance field parasitism level in soybean fields. However, optimum refrigeration conditions required for the eggs in order to preserve its quality to ensure effective level of parasitism for a longer period has been rarely reported. We assessed optimum environment condition for refrigeration of the eggs using three different temperatures (2, 6, and 10℃) and relative humidities (RH) (high, medium and low). Eggs of R. pedestris were refrigerated at nine combinations of temperature and relative humidity for 30 consecutive days. Those eggs were taken out and after 8 days, mated female Ooencyrtus nezarae Ishii (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) were individually exposed to the eggs, and their development, emergence, and sex ratio were examined. Number of eggs parasitized was highest (5.9) on eggs stored at 6℃ and high RH. Significantly higher male proportion was recorded in the eggs stored at 10℃. However, RH had no effect on the sex ratio. For both male and female, development time was the least on host eggs stored at 2℃ and high RH. Adult emergence was recorded highest from the eggs stored at 2℃ followed by 6℃ and at high RH. In conclusion, eggs refrigerated below 6℃ at high RH condition maintained better quality of R. pedestris eggs for the parasitization by O. nezarae.

From our previous studies in a farm in Songcheon, Andong where a series of crops was cultivated in 2008 and 2009, occurrence patterns of Riptortus pedestris (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Alydidae) and its egg parasitism by Ooencyrtus nezarae Ishii (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Gryon japonicum (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) were reported. With an objective to verify the trend of the occurrence pattern, a year long monitoring of R. pedestris and its egg parasitism was continued in 2010 in the same location where barley, sesame, and soybean were cultivated in series. We placed four aggregation pheromone traps added with 50 refrigerated eggs of R. pedestris each along the perimeter of the field from 11 April to 31 October. Weekly occurrence patterns of R. pedestris and its parasitism in 2010 were generally similar to the patterns of previous years. Riptortus pedestris population first appeared in the last week of April, peaked after the third week of August, and declined in October. Parasitism by G. japonicum was recorded up to 64% in July, 2010 which was much higher than previous years. This study verifies that G. japonicum is the first colonizer that appears as early as May and remains active until September. Ooencyrtus nezarae, however, starts to occur late from the last week of August and exist in the field until October.