Host Searching by Egg Parasitoids: Exploitation of Host Chemical Cues

2009 ◽  
pp. 97-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Colazza ◽  
Ezio Peri ◽  
Gianandrea Salerno ◽  
Eric Conti
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Egg Parasitoids ◽  
Host Searching

scholarly journals Chemical Ecology of Egg Parasitoids Associated with True Bugs

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Conti ◽  
Stefano Colazza
Keyword(s):  
Pest Control ◽  
Host Location ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Egg Parasitoids ◽  
Insect Herbivores ◽  
Host Searching ◽  
Biological Pest Control ◽  
Insect Eggs ◽  
True Bugs ◽  
Selection Strategies

Parasitoids representing some 15 families of Hymenoptera develop in insect eggs; three of these families, Platygastridae (= Scelionidae), Mymaridae, and Encyrtidae, are associated with Heteroptera. Several species of heteropteran egg parasitoids are or may be important for biological pest control. Successful parasitism of insect herbivores by insect parasitoids arises through several phases of host searching, which lead female wasps to the vicinity of, or in contact with, their hosts. During the host location process, females encounter and explore a variety of stimuli, among which chemical cues (i.e., semiochemicals or infochemicals) play a pivotal role. Female parasitoids are under selection pressure to efficiently invest their limited time on the location and exploitation of host-derived stimuli. In general, the levels of reliability and detectability of a particular stimulus are inversely correlated. Female parasitic wasps adopt differing strategies to solve this dilemma. In this paper we focus on the various host selection strategies employed by heteropteran egg parasitoids and possible means whereby the chemically mediated behavior of these wasps may be exploited to enhance biological pest control.

Preimaginal developmental time of two egg parasitoids and their host searching efficiency

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 559-568
Author(s):  
María Candela Barakat ◽  
Gerardo Gustavo Liljesthröm ◽  
María Fernanda Cingolani
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Time ◽  
Egg Parasitoids ◽  
Host Searching

scholarly journals Only Females Oviposit: Chemical Discrimination of Adult Stink Bug Sex by the Egg Parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mokhtar Abdulsattar Arif ◽  
Tuğcan Alınç ◽  
Salvatore Guarino ◽  
Stefano Colazza ◽  
Antonino Cusumano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Sex Discrimination ◽  
Egg Parasitoid ◽  
Egg Parasitoids ◽  
Stink Bug ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Host Sex ◽  
Trissolcus Japonicus ◽  
Chemical Discrimination ◽  
Hexane Extracts

Egg parasitoids foraging for suitable hosts scattered in the environment rely mainly on chemical cues. Elucidating the chemical ecology of natural enemies is important in the development of effective and successful strategies for conservation biological control. In this context, the host cuticular hydrocarbons, which are exploited by several species of egg parasitoids as contact kairomones, could be used to retain them by providing information about the presence and the sex of adults of the target species: sex is important because only females of the host species lay the eggs that can be subsequently utilized for parasitoid reproduction. However, the chemical basis of host sex discrimination in egg parasitoids is not well understood. We carried out behavioral and chemical bioassays to investigate the role played by contact chemical cues left by adults of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys Stål, in host egg searching behavior and adult host sex discrimination by the egg parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead). A first set of bioassays showed that parasitoids spent more time exploring patches contaminated with chemicals associated with adult H. halys females compared with adult males. Similar responses were displayed by T. japonicus when hexane extracts of H. halys were tested suggesting that non-polar chemical compounds are involved in host sex discrimination. GC-MS analysis of hexane extracts revealed quantitative differences in the cuticular compounds of the two sexes, with 1-hexadecene (more abundant in males) being the most important component in determining these differences. Hexane extracts of H. halys females blended with synthetic 1-hexadecene significantly reduced the wasps’ arrestment responses compared to crude extracts.

Chemical interaction between the larva of a dipteran parasitoid and its coleopteran host: A case of exploitation of the communication system during the searching behaviour?

2011 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.F. Groba ◽  
M.K. Castelo
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Chemical Interaction ◽  
Instar Larva ◽  
Chemical Cue ◽  
Host Searching ◽  
Searching Behaviour ◽  
Host System ◽  
Third Instar Larva ◽  
Pampas Region

AbstractThe robber flyMallophora ruficaudais one of the principal apicultural pests in the Pampas region of Argentina. As adults, the flies prey on honey bees and other insects; while, as larvae, they parasitize scarab beetle larvae. Females ofM. ruficaudalay eggs away from the host in tall grasses. After being dispersed by the wind, larvae drop to the ground, where they dig in search of their hosts. It is known that second instar larvae ofM. ruficaudaexhibit active host searching behaviour towards its preferred host, third instar larva ofCyclocephala signaticollis, using host-related chemical cues. Furthermore, previous works show that these chemical cues are produced in the posterior body half of hosts. However, the precise anatomical origin of these cues and whether they mediate any behaviour ofC. signaticollislarvae remains yet unknown. In order to determine the precise origin of the chemical cue, we carried out olfactometer assays with different stimuli of extracts of the posteriorC. signaticollisbody half. Additionally, we tested whetherC. signaticollisis attracted to any of the same extracts as in the previous experiments. We found that both second instar ofM. ruficaudaand third instar ofC. signaticollisare attracted to extracts of the fermentation chamber (proctodeum). This is the first report of attraction of conspecific larvae in scarab beetles. We discuss a possible case of system communication exploitation in an immature parasitoid-host system.

scholarly journals The role of adult fiddler crab environmental acoustic cues and chemical cues in stimulating molting of field-caught megalopae

2021 ◽  
Vol 537 ◽  
pp. 151516
Author(s):  
Emily E. Waddell ◽  
Wendy E.D. Piniak ◽  
Kathleen A. Reinsel ◽  
James M. Welch
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Fiddler Crab ◽  
Acoustic Cues

scholarly journals Interactions of ants with native and invasive lady beetles and the role of chemical cues in intraguild interference

Chemoecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roman Bucher ◽  
Laura M. Japke ◽  
Ayse Gül Ünlü ◽  
Florian Menzel
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Harmonia Axyridis ◽  
Species Recognition ◽  
Lady Beetle ◽  
Lasius Niger ◽  
Beetle Species ◽  
Beetle Elytra ◽  
Lady Beetles ◽  
Ant Aggression

AbstractThe predator-predator naïveté hypothesis suggests that non-native predators benefit from being unknown to native predators, resulting in reduced intraguild interference with native predators. This novelty advantage should depend on the ability of native predators to recognize cues of non-native predators. Here, we compared ant aggression and lady beetle reaction in four native and the invasive lady beetle species Harmonia axyridis. In addition, we tested whether lady beetle cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are involved in species recognition, which might explain naïveté if the invasive species has a specific CHC profile. To this end, we conducted behavioral assays confronting two native ant species with both living lady beetles and lady beetle elytra bearing or lacking CHCs of different lady beetle species. Finally, we characterized CHC profiles of the lady beetles using GC–MS. In general, the aggression of Lasius niger was more frequent than that of Myrmica rubra and L. niger aggression was more frequent towards most native lady beetle species compared to H. axyridis. The removal of CHCs from lady beetle elytra reduced aggression of both ant species. If CHCs of respective lady beetle species were added on cue-free elytra, natural strength of L. niger aggression could be restored. CHC analyses revealed a distinct cue composition for each lady beetle species. Our experiments demonstrate that the presence of chemical cues on the surface of lady beetles contribute to the strength of ant aggression against lady beetles. Reduced aggression of L. niger towards H. axyridis and reduced avoidance behavior in H. axyridis compared to the equally voracious C. septempunctata might improve the invasive lady beetle’s access to ant-tended aphids.

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