BioControl (2012) 57, 405-414

Jeanneth Pérez, Julio C. Rojas, Pablo Montoya, Pablo Liedo, Francisco J. González and Alfredo Castillo (2012)
Size, shape and hue modulate attraction and landing responses of the braconid parasitoid Fopius arisanus to fruit odour-baited visual targets
BioControl 57 (3), 405-414
Abstract: Female parasitoids are guided by multisensory information, including chemical and physical cues during host location. In the present study, we investigated the behavioural responses of naïve Fopius arisanus (Sonan) females to visual targets baited with guava odour. In non-choice wind tunnel tests, the attraction and landing responses of parasitoids to spheres painted with different colours, and targets of different shapes and sizes were evaluated. Females were more frequently attracted and landed more often on dark yellow targets than on targets with other colours. There was no correlation between the brightness of each colour and the attraction or landing responses. In contrast, both responses were correlated with relative reflectance (hue) of the coloured targets. A positive correlation was observed between attraction and hue, and a negative correlation between landing and hue. F. arisanus was attracted to and landed more often on spheres than on other shape models. The attraction response of this parasitoid was affected by the size of the targets, with spheres of 10 and 12 cm diameter being more attractive than spheres of 8, 6 and 4 cm diameter. The fact that F. arisanus females were able to discriminate among visual targets that differ in colour, shape and size stresses the importance of vision during host location by this species.
(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): Julio C. Rojas, Pablo Montoya, Jeanneth Pérez

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Fopius arisanus (parasitoid)