Host Location by Ichneumonid Parasitoids is Associated with Nest Dimensions of the Host Bee Species
Parasitoid fitness depends on the ability of females to locate a host. In some species of Ichneumonoidea, female parasitoids detect potential hosts through vibratory cues emanating from them or through vibrational sounding produced by antennal tapping on the substrate. In this study, we (1) describe...
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Published in | Neotropical entomology Vol. 41; no. 4; pp. 283 - 287 |
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Main Authors | , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
New York
Springer-Verlag
01.08.2012
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Parasitoid fitness depends on the ability of females to locate a host. In some species of Ichneumonoidea, female parasitoids detect potential hosts through vibratory cues emanating from them or through vibrational sounding produced by antennal tapping on the substrate. In this study, we (1) describe host location behaviors in
Grotea gayi
Spinola (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) and
Labena
sp. on nests of
Manuelia postica
Spinola (Hymenoptera: Apidae), (2) compare nest dimensions between parasitized and unparasitized nests, (3) correlate the length of
M. postica
nests with the number of immature individuals developing, and (4) establish the relative proportion of parasitized nests along the breeding period of
M. postica
. Based on our results, we propose that these parasitoids use vibrational sounding as a host location mechanism and that they are able to assess host nest dimensions and choose those which may provide them with a higher fitness. Finally, we discuss an ancestral host–parasitoid relationship between
Manuelia
and ichneumonid species. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 1519-566X 1678-8052 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s13744-012-0048-6 |