Environmental Entomology (1984) 13, 7-14

Gerold Morrison and W.J. Lewis (1984)
Inferring parasitoid searching behavior from host mortality data: A note of caution
Environmental Entomology 13 (1), 7-14
Abstract: In a recent paper, Chesson (Environ. Entomol. 11: 531-537, 1982) proposed a model based on the binomial distribution which, when applied to field measurements of host mortality, can be used to obtain post hoc estimates of the probability of encounter of host-containing patches, and the conditional probability of parasitism (given encounter) for hosts present in such patches. Chesson recommends that these estimates be used to draw inferences concerning the behavior of searching parasitoids-in particular, to determine whether individuals of a given parasitoid species respond to between-patch variations in host density during search. Here, we examine the model and suggest that it may produce misleading behavioral conclusions if interpreted in the way its author recommends. Chesson's critique of an earlier study by Morrison, Lewis, and Nordlund (Environ. Entomol. 9: 79-85, 1980) is also discussed.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
population dynamics/epizootiology
environment/habitat manipulation

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Helicoverpa zea
Trichogramma pretiosum (parasitoid)	Helicoverpa zea