Journal of Pest Science (2018) 91, 771-780
Wen-Mei Du, Jing Xu, Yang-Yang Hou, Ying Lin, Lian-Sheng Zang, Xiangbing Yang, Jun-Jie Zhang, Chang-Chun Ruan and Nicolas Desneux (2018)
Trichogramma parasitoids can distinguish between fertilized and unfertilized host eggs
Journal of Pest Science 91 (2), 771-780
Abstract: Host quality varies with size, age, and species, and influences the parasitism preference of parasitoids and the fitness of their offspring. However, it is still unclear whether parasitoids have the ability to recognize fertilized and unfertilized host eggs. We studied the performance of three Trichogramma species, T. japonicum, T. chilonis, and T. leucaniae, on both fertilized and unfertilized eggs of their host Corcyra cephalonica at different host ages. In no-choice tests, three Trichogramma species parasitized significantly more fertilized than unfertilized eggs when host age was 0 days old. In choice tests, all parasitoids parasitized significantly more fertilized than unfertilized eggs at all host ages. Furthermore, the frequency of fertilized eggs visited by Trichogramma parasitoids were significantly higher than those of unfertilized eggs. The number of unfertilized eggs visited by parasitoids without ovipositing was approximately 3.7 times greater than those of fertilized eggs. In addition, all Trichogramma parasitoids developed significantly faster on fertilized than unfertilized eggs at all host ages. In summary, we find that Trichogramma were able to recognize fertilized and unfertilized host eggs in parasitism, which is conducive to biological control programs, since unfertilized eggs enlarge the host reservoir for parasitoid augmentation.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Lian-Sheng Zang, Xiang-Bing Yang, Nicolas Desneux
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corcyra cephalonica | ||||
| Trichogramma chilonis (parasitoid) | Corcyra cephalonica | |||
| Trichogramma japonicum (parasitoid) | Corcyra cephalonica | |||
| Trichogramma leucaniae (parasitoid) | Corcyra cephalonica |
