Table 1 Percentages of parasitism of T. bactrae on S. littoralis egg masses with different physical characteristics in a no-choice and choice tests

One layer with no scales

70.73 ± 1.84 Ab (50–96.82)

66.67± 2.22^a

71.76 ± 2.86 Aa (57.14–100)

60.53 ± 2.49^a

One layer with low scale density

77.08 ± 1.62 Aa (60–100)

70.85 ± 2.61 Ba (53.33–88.37)

One layer with mid scale density

71.10 ± 2.46 Ab (36–87.04)

54.38 ± 2.12 Bc (33.33–78.20)

One layer with high scale density

47.71 ± 2.97 Ae (15–69)

45.12 ± 2.37 Ad (30–58.62)

Two layers with low scale density

64.50 ± 1.97 Ac (48.19–81.03)

58.23± 2.06^b

61.81 ± 1.03 Ab (55–68.54)

48.53 ± 1.31^b

Two layers with mid scale density

56.03 ± 2.35 Ad (36.58–82.83)

48.81 ± 2.64 Bcd (28.95–58.67)

Two layers with high scale density

54.17 ± 1.86 Ade (38.09–71.95)

35.00 ± 0.28 Be (32-36.67)

Three layers with low scale density

38.84 ± 2.69 Af (30–54.61)

29.03±3.11^c

25.63 ± 0.08 Bf (25–26.65)

22.67 ± 2.29^c

Three layers with high scale density

19.23 ± 3.52 Ag (8–36)

19.72 ± 3.13 Af (5–36.57)