Journal of Insect Behavior (2003) 16, 307-318

Marcela K. Castelo, Juan C. Corley and Emmanuel Desouhant (2003)
Conspecific avoidance during foraging in Venturia canescens (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae): The roles of host presence and conspecific densities
Journal of Insect Behavior 16 (2), 307-318
Abstract: We explored the effects of the presence of conspecifics on host patch choice decisions made by the parasitoid Venturia canescens. Different odor sources were located in plastic boxes at the end of each arm of a glass Y-tube olfactometer. In a set of experiments, odor sources were either (a) host kairomone patches with or without conspecifics (5 or 20) or (b) two odor sources located in successive boxes (a host kairomone patch and a patch with 20 conspecifics in one arm versus a host patch and an empty patch in the other). Our results indicate that V. canescens avoids competition only at high conspecific densities. Avoidance occurs only when foraging wasps perceive the combined odors from host kairomones and conspecific females. Separating the host patch from conspecific parasitoids does not perturb avoidance behavior.
(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): Emmanuel Desouhant, Juan Carlos Corley

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
Venturia canescens (parasitoid)