An 8% sugar-water solution put in a vial plugged with cotton wool was provided to feed the moths, and balsam fir branches bearing lichens were added for oviposition.
In order to release the parasitoid, each vial could be opened from the outside of the container by pulling strings that were attached to the cotton wool plugs.
Emerging insects were provided with water-soaked cotton wool, honey droplets, and a yeast/sugar diet.
Both ends of each tube were plugged with cotton wool.
Each assay was performed with two germination chambers (replicates) containing 50 seeds placed on a layer of cotton wool moistened with distilled water.
Each vial contained a single wasp and the vial was closed with two plugs of cotton wool before release.
The tubes were covered with cotton wool and kept in an incubator at the temperature and relative humidity indicated above.
Leaves were maintained fresh during the experiment by small plastic vials with water and cotton wool surrounding the petiole.
