Biocontrol Science and Technology (2003) 13, 391-402
Xin-Geng Wang, Russell H. Messing and Renato C. Bautista (2003)
Competitive superiority of early acting species: a case study of opiine fruit fly parasitoids
Biocontrol Science and Technology 13 (4), 391-402
Abstract: Koinobiont parasitoids that attack an early host stage may have an advantage in suppressing competing parasitoids that attack later stages of the same host. We examined the competitive interaction between the two most important parasitoids of tephritid fruit flies in Hawaii, Fopius arisanus (Sonan), and Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). The former species attacks host eggs while the latter attacks host larvae, and both species emerge as adults from the host puparia. F. arisanus physiologically suppressed egg development of D. longicaudata. Over 90% of D. longicaudata eggs died in the presence of F. arisanus larvae within host larvae of either the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) or the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel). D. longicaudata appeared not to discriminate against hosts previously parasitized by F. arisanus. The mechanism that F. arisanus uses to eliminate D. longicaudata is similar to that which it employs to eliminate five other larval fruit fly parasitoids so far reported in Hawaii. This suggests that there is a broad competitive superiority of the early acting species in fruit fly parasitoids. We discuss the implication of this in relation to future biological control introductions against tephritid fruit flies.
(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): Xin-Geng Wang
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution
environment/habitat manipulation
