Journal of Chemical Ecology (2000) 26, 1079-1093

Fanuel A. Demas, Ahmed Hassanali, Esther N. Mwangi, Edna C. Kunjeku and Audrey R. Mabveni (2000)
Cattle and Amblyomma variegatum odors used in host habitat and host finding by the tick parasitoid, Ixodiphagus hookeri
Journal of Chemical Ecology 26 (4), 1079-1093
Abstract: The response of mated naive Ixodiphagus hookeri females to cattle and Amblyomma variegatum nymphal odors was tested in a Y-tube olfactometer. I. hookeri females were attracted to cattle urine, dung, and odors from tick-free feeding sites of A. variegatum nymphs on cattle, e.g., dewlaps, front heels, and hind heels. Tick-free scrotal odors did not attract the parasitoids. Furthermore, odors from off-host unfed and fed A. variegatum nymphs did not attract the parasitoids, despite an increase in the number of the nymphs to amplify any odor signal. A blend of odors from feeding on-host nymphs and cattle scrota attracted the parasitoids. In T-tube bioassays, I. hookeri females were attracted to hexane washes and fecal extracts of A. variegatum nymphs.
(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): Ahmed Hassanali

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Amblyomma variegatum
Ixodiphagus hookeri (parasitoid)	Amblyomma variegatum