PARASITISM BY SCELIO CALOPTENI RILEY (HYMENOPTERA: SCELIONIDAE) IN EGGS OF THE TWO DOMINANT MELANOPLINE SPECIES (ORTHOPTERA: ACRIDIDAE) IN SASKATCHEWAN
AbstractParasitism by Scelio calopteni Riley in eggs of Melanoplus bivittatus (Say) and M. sanguinipes (Fabr.) in Saskatchewan during 1967–1980 was highly aggregated. There was no evidence of any numerical response of the parasites to adult grasshopper density and, furthermore, change in grasshopper population density was independent of percentage parasitism. Thus, it is concluded that parasitism by S. calopteni does not play a significant role in the population dynamics of the two grasshopper species. The relationship between parasitism and wetness in August was highly significant in both grasshopper species and showed that percentage parasitism increased, but at a decreasing rate, up to a certain wetness and levelled off thereafter.