The effects of host-feeding behaviour on the dynamics of parasitoid-host interactions, and the implications for biological control

1989 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. C. Kidd ◽  
M. A. Jervis
2013 ◽  
Vol 145 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Émilie Lessard ◽  
Guy Boivin

AbstractAdult parasitoid females can obtain proteins and lipid by consuming the haemolymph of their host. InTrichogrammaWestwood (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) species, host feeding on the host egg occurs after oviposition and leads to smaller offspring. We tested the effect of age and hunger on host-feeding behaviour of femaleTrichogramma euproctidisGirault. Young and old females, either starved, water fed, or honey fed, were observed and the host-feeding frequency, duration, distribution, and number of hosts used for nutrition were measured. The sex ratio (proportion of males) allocated to parasitised hosts where host feeding occurred and time taken to parasitise 10 hosts (indicator of female mobility) were also noted. The majority of females host fed on the first host encountered. Age had no impact on frequency, duration, number of hosts used, and mobility ofT. euproctidis. Starved females host fed longer and were less mobile. The sex ratio of the progeny emerging from the first host parasitised was more male biased when host feeding occurred. Host feeding had no effect on the sex ratio deposited elsewhere in the sequence of hosts encountered. Age of female had no effect on host feeding, possibly because host feeding incurs little cost for this species. To host feed on the first host parasitised, in which a male is allocated, is less costly in terms of fitness and represents a strategic choice for the female.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Escudero-Martinez ◽  
Daniel J. Leybourne ◽  
Jorunn I.B. Bos

AbstractAphids are phloem-feeding insects that cause economic losses to crops globally. Whilst aphid interactions with susceptible plants and partially resistant genotypes have been well characterised with regards to aphid probing and feeding behaviour, the interactions with non-natural host species are not well understood. Using aphid choice assays with the broad host range pest Myzus persicae and the cereal pest Rhopalosiphum padi we show that about 10% of aphids settle on non-/poor-host species over a 24h time period. We used the Electrical Penetration Graph technique to assess aphid probing and feeding behaviour during the non-/poor-host interactions. In the Arabidopsis non-host interaction with the cereal pest R. padi aphids were unable to reach and feed from the phloem, with resistance likely residing in the mesophyll cell layer. In the barley poor-host interaction with M. persicae, resistance is likely phloem-based as aphids were able to reach the phloem but ingestion was reduced compared with the host interaction. Overall our data suggests that plant resistance to aphids in non-host and poor-host interactions with these aphid species likely resides in different plant cell layers. Future work will take into account specific cell layers where resistances are based to dissect the underlying mechanisms and gain a better understanding of how we may improve crop resistance to aphids.


PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e1863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Liu ◽  
Youjun Zhang ◽  
Wen Xie ◽  
Qingjun Wu ◽  
Shaoli Wang

Encarsia formosaGahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) is a solitary endoparasitoid that is commercially reared and released for augmentative biological control of whiteflies infesting greenhouse crops. In most areas in China, the invasive and destructive whiteflyBemisia tabaci(Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) biotype Q has replacedB. tabacibiotype B and has become dominant between the two. A better understanding of the suitability of different nymphal instars ofB. tabacibiotypes Q and B as hosts forE. formosais needed to improve the use of this parasitoid for biological control. Parasitism of the four nymphal instars ofB. tabacibiotypes Q and B by the commercial strain ofE. formosamass reared onTrialeurodes vaporariorum(Westwood) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was assessed in the laboratory. The results indicated thatE. formosaparasitized and successfully developed on all instars of both biotypes but performed best on the 3rd instar ofB. tabacibiotype B and on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th instars ofB. tabacibiotype Q. The host-feeding rate of the adult parasitoid was generally higher on nymphal instars ofB. tabacibiotype Q than on the corresponding nymphal instars of biotype B and was significantly higher on the 2nd and 3rd instars. For both whitefly biotypes, the parasitoid’s immature developmental period was the longest on the 1st instar, intermediate on the 2nd and 3rd instars, and the shortest on the 4th instar. The parasitoid emergence rate was significantly lower on the 1st instar than on the other three instars and did not significantly differ betweenB. tabacibiotype B and biotype Q. Offspring longevity was greater on the 3rd and 4th instars than on the 1st instar and did not significantly differ between the twoB. tabacibiotypes. The results indicate that commercially-producedE. formosacan parasitize all instars ofB. tabacibiotypes B and Q, making this parasitoid a promising tool for the management of the two biotypes ofB. tabacipresent in China.


1981 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aola M. Richards

AbstractLife-cycles and voltinism are described for Rhyzobius ventralis (Erichs.) and R. forestieri (Muls.) living in the region of Sydney, Australia, and also the role each plays in its particular biocoenosis. Colour variation and wax production are described for the larvae, prepupae, pupae and adults of both species, also the defensive and feeding behaviour. New and known host records are listed for both species. Reasons are suggested for the success, partial failure or failure of the species as biological control agents in various parts of the world.


2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (3) ◽  
pp. 1211-1220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu-Jie Jia ◽  
Bo Wang ◽  
Tong-Xian Liu

Abstract The biocontrol values of natural enemies are strongly correlated to their ability to regulate the density of their host/prey. For parasitoids, apart from parasitism and host feeding, unsuccessful host stinging (i.e., stings that were aborted, abandoned, or discontinued without oviposition or host feeding) can also negatively affect their hosts and host populations. Although several studies have reported unsuccessful host stinging and its impacts on hosts, the effects of this type of attack on host life table parameters are still unclear. In the present study, we used the parasitoid Aphelinus asychis Walker (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) and its host Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to investigate the influence of unsuccessful host stinging on host populations under laboratory conditions at. Biological parameters of A. pisum were analyzed using an age stage, two-sex life table. The results of this study showed that unsuccessful host stinging was prevalent under laboratory conditions, and the frequency of this type of attack on third- and fourth-instar hosts was higher than the frequencies of parasitism and host feeding. Unsuccessful host stinging adversely impacted aphid populations, by decreasing aphid survival and reproduction, and impacts were greatest in hosts attacked at the first and fourth instars. These results indicate that unsuccessful host stinging enhances the biological control impact of A. asychis attacking A. pisum, and its effect on host populations should also be considered when selecting and mass rearing of parasitoids for biological control.


1978 ◽  
Vol 110 (5) ◽  
pp. 507-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Dowell

AbstractTwo manners in which parasitic Hymenoptera gather reproductive proteins are described. Hydropic species gather all protein necessary for reproduction as larvae. Only 5–10% of the material necessary to form a viable first instar larva is put into each egg; the remainder is gathered by the egg within the host. Egg storage is in the lateral oviducts, handling times are short and egg production is independent of host density. Three Bathyplectes spp. are examples of hydropic parasitoids. Anhydropic species gather some or all protein as adults, often by host feeding. All the material necessary for the formation of a viable first instar larva is stored within the egg. The eggs are held in the ovary until laid. Handling times are longer and continued egg production is dependent upon host density. Tetrastichus incertus (Ratzeburg) is an anhydropic parasitoid.Hydropic parasitoids appear best suited for biological control efforts in ephemeral situations (i.e. cotton or alfalfa). Anhydropic parasitoids appear best suited for biological control efforts in stable situations (i.e. citrus or walnuts).


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-230
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Bartosik ◽  
Alicja Buczek ◽  
Weronika Buczek ◽  
Alicja Buczek ◽  
Dorota Kulina ◽  
...  

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