Journal of Insect Behavior (2004) 17, 99-113

Marlène Goubault, Julie Fourrier, Liliane Krespi, Denis Poinsot and Anne Marie Cortesero (2004)
Selection strategies of parasitized hosts in a generalist parasitoid depend on patch quality but also on host size
Journal of Insect Behavior 17 (1), 99-113
Abstract: Host rejection, superparasitism, and ovicide are three possible host selection strategies that parasitoid females can adopt when they encounter parasitized hosts. These differ in costs (in terms of time and energy required) and benefits (in terms of number and quality of offspring produced). Their relative payoff should vary with patch quality, (i.e., proportion of parasitized hosts present), and female choice between them should be adapted accordingly. We conducted behavioral observations to test the effect of the ratio of parasitized/unparasitized hosts present in a patch on the host selection strategies of Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae Rondani (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). This species being a generalist known to attack hosts of a great range of size, we also tested the impact of host size on female decisions with two host species differing greatly in size ( Drosophila melanogaster and Delia radicum). We evaluated the adaptive value of each strategy in relation to host parasitization status and host size by measuring their duration and the potential number of offspring produced.
(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): Marlène Goubault, Anne Marie Cortesero, Liliane Krespi

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.
Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (parasitoid)			France