Journal of Insect Behavior (2000) 13, 187-199

David Marchand and Jeremy N. McNeil (2000)
Effects of wind speed and atmospheric pressure on mate searching behavior in the aphid parasitoid Aphidius nigripes (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae)
Journal of Insect Behavior 13 (2), 187-199
Abstract: The effects of wind speed and atmospheric pressure on male mate searching behavior, modulated by a female sex pheromone, were investigated in the aphid parasitoid Aphidius nigripes (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae). Male A. nigripes generally did not reach females at wind speeds of 100 cm/sec, as the majority of individuals taking flight in the pheromone plume (81.8%) were unable to sustain upwind flight. At lower wind velocities, male responsiveness to females generally decreased with distance from the source. However, wind speeds approaching the upper threshold (100 cm/sec) tended to eliminate this distance effect. Therefore, there appears to be a trade-off between the need for higher wind speeds to detect the pheromone source from long distances, and a reduction in male flight capacity as wind velocity increases. Our results also indicate that chemical communication in A. nigripes could be affected by variations in atmospheric pressure, as we observed a relationship between pressure fluctuations in the 24 hr prior to testing and male responsiveness to females. The importance of these abiotic factors on mate searching behavior is discussed within the context of the reproductive biology of A. nigripes.
(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): Jeremy N. McNeil

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.
Aphidius nigripes (parasitoid)