Ecological disjunction across the sexes in an alloparasitoid: Host requirements,sex ratios and mate localization (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae)

The larval females of Coccophagus sp. nr gurneyi Compere are primary parasitoids of lantana mealybugs, whereas males develop hyperparasitically through other parasitoids (never their own females), so the species is alloparasitic. Males are seldom even reared from lantana mealybugs (<0.3%, n = 4,212), and have not yet been reared from any other host. Adults were sampled in the field to establish that this species is sexual (by assessing female spermathecal content), and to quantify relative abundance of the sexes around host infestations. Adult males were scarce above hosts (3%, n = 314), but were attracted in relatively high numbers to caged virgin females within those infestations. Caged females outside infestations did not attract males, suggesting that mate attraction requires environmental signals other than those from females. Most females collected in the field above host infestations had sperm in their spermathecal capsules. They presumably had mated with males that developed elsewhere (so mate localization might involve searching across substantial distances). Virgin females were present only early in the day and evidently mate soon after eclosion. Evidence of sperm depletion in mated females was not found. The spatial scale of male and female movements needs to be quantified, but the ongoing movement of individuals (as a consequence of their sex‐related host relationships) seems to be a regular aspect of their ecology. The spatial and temporal dynamics across the sexes illustrates that their abilities to localize one another for mating leaves the sexes free to diverge ecologically, and their sex ratios to vary.     

Brood sex ratios of the solitary parasitoid wasp, Coccophagus atratus

Abstract.

• 1 Female eggs of Coccophagus atratus are deposited within the haemolymph of coccoid scale insects. Male eggs are deposited on to late larval and prepupal stages of parasitoids of scale insects, including conspecifics.
• 2 When presented with either one host type or a combination of both host types, female C.atratus deposit all their available eggs, assigning the appropriate sex egg to each host encountered. Brood sizes are not adjusted for different combinations of hosts.
• 3 Behavioural observations show that females do not move away from patches of hosts until all their eggs are laid, regardless of the host type.
• 4 Brood sex ratios varied with changes in the relative availability of hosts for males and hosts for females. When both host-types were present in equal numbers, male biased sex ratios resulted (mean ±SEM =0.71 ± 0.009) and when 70% of hosts provided were suitable for female eggs, mostly female-biased sex ratios resulted (mean ± SEM = 0.37±0.01).
• 5 Our results do not fit predictions based on the assumption that a sex ratio of 0.5 should be expected in C.atratus. Observed sex ratios indicate that the unusual life histories of these parasitoids need to be taken into account in explanations of their sex ratios.

     

Activity patterns and egg production in Coccophagus bartletti, an aphelinid parasitoid of scale insects

ABSTRACT.

• 1 Daily patterns of oviposition and host-feeding were examined in Coccophagus bartletti Annecke & Insley. Females began to host-feed and oviposit during the second or third day after emergence. Thereafter, both activities occurred regularly.
• 2 During long observation periods (5 h) most oviposition (93%) and host-feeding (90%) occurred within the first 3.5 h of wasps first encountering hosts. Experiments demonstrated that levels of activity were low for the rest of the day, and nocturnal oviposition occurred only if wasps had no alternative.
• 3 Dissection of female wasps that had been exposed to hosts, or withheld from them, for given periods of time, revealed that activity levels are governed by egg availability. Dispersal activity may also be influenced by the physiological state of the ovaries.
• 4 Production of a full complement of eggs (at 24±1°C (12 h L) and 18±1°C (12 h D)) took 48h or longer after host-feeding, and if wasps were withheld from hosts and provided with honey, the effects of egg resorption could be detected after about 10 days. Trends in oögenesis and oösorption in C. bartletti females seem not to conform with interpretations of oögenesis-oösorption cycles in other parasitoids.
• 5 The pattern of activity exhibited by C. bartletti females is not inflexible, but the major aspects mentioned above are species-specific. In general, information is needed about daily and hourly patterns of parasitoid oviposition and host-feeding before experiments are designed to test theories of parasitoid behaviour. Interpretation may otherwise rest on assumptions about their physiological condition.

     

温度和光周期对斑翅食蚧蚜小蜂发育与繁殖的影响

斑翅食蚧蚜小蜂是橡副珠蜡蚧的重要寄生性天敌之一。研究了温度和光周期对斑翅食蚧蚜小蜂发育、寄生及繁殖等方面的生态学特性。研究表明:温度和光周期对斑翅食蚧蚜小蜂种群增长影响明显。在32℃下不能完成世代发育,在温度为18-27℃范围内随温度升高发育加快,18℃发育历期最长(54.0d),27℃最短(22.8d);世代发育起点温度和有效积温分别为12.76℃和307.62日度。高温和低温均不利于斑翅食蚧蚜小蜂寄生,21℃时寄生率最高为(36.0%),30℃时寄生率最低(4.5%)。结合发育历期、体长、产卵、抱卵、寄生率等参数,该蜂发育繁殖的适宜温度为21-27℃度范围内,30℃以上不利于小蜂的发育及存活。斑翅食蚧蚜小蜂对长光的刺激比较敏感,随光照时间增长,发育加快、产卵量明显增加,长日照条件(LD16∶8h)的发育历期最短(24.8d),短日照条件(LD10∶14h)的最长(27.8d),产卵量在长日照条件(LD16∶8h)时最多(119.6粒),短日照条件(LD10∶14h)时最少(86.2粒)。结合发育、产卵、寄生等参数,长日照条件(LD14∶10-LD16∶8h)有利于种群增长。     

斑翅食蚧蚜小蜂的生物学特性

斑翅食蚧蚜小蜂Coccophagus ceroplastae是橡副珠蜡蚧Parasaissetia nigra的重要内寄生蜂。对斑翅食蚧蚜小蜂的形态特征进行了描述,在实验室条件下观察了斑翅食蚧蚜小蜂的行为、发育、存活、繁殖等生物学特性。结果表明:斑翅食蚧蚜小蜂幼虫分3龄,完成一个世代需21-26d。卵巢左右成对,各由3条卵巢管组成,为发育成熟型,成虫期补充营养和发育时间对抱卵量的影响不明显。羽化后即可进行交配,交配时间2-3s,雄蜂有竞争交配行为,交配对雌蜂产卵有显著刺激作用。产卵行为有寻找、寄主检查、产卵器刺探、产卵、产卵针拔出等步骤,存在过寄生现象。羽化主要是在08:00-10:00,温度、相对湿度、光照对其羽化节律均有影响,温度升高羽化提前,且相对集中;相对湿度在20%-90%范围内,随湿度的升高成虫羽化高蜂延后;而光照时间过长或过短均可使斑翅食蚧蚜小蜂的羽化相对分散。随着温度的升高,雌成蜂的寿命逐渐缩短;补充营养能延长成虫寿命,取食10%蔗糖的寿命最长,清水和无补充营养寿命短。     

Role of Coccophagus sp. in the suppression of the soft green scale Coccus viridis (Green) (Hompoptera: Coccidae) on sapota

The soft green scale Coccus viridis (Green) (Homoptera: Coccidae) has become a major pest of sapota, Manilkara achras (Mill.) Forberg in India. A field study was conducted on the population dynamics of soft green scale Coccus viridis (Green) for 2 years (2004–2006) on sapota at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) farm, Bangalore, India. The population of green scale declined from 30.72 per leaf in May 2004 to 1.62 per leaf in March 2006. Two coccinellid predators Chilocorus nigrita (Fab.) and Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Muls.) and one aphelinid parasitoid Coccophagus sp. were recorded on C. viridis. Both the predators played a minor role in the population fluctuation of C. viridis. The parasitoid Coccophagus sp. was the dominant natural enemy observed throughout the study recording a mean of 10.24–94.67% parasitism. A significant positive correlation of the scale population with minimum temperature (r=0.54) and negative relationship with the parasitism by Coccophagus sp. (r=0.81) was recorded. Multiple regression analysis revealed that 75.7% of the variation present in the green scale population could be predicted by abiotic factors and parasitism by Coccophagus sp. Further, step-wise regression procedure employed to arrive at a multiple regression model showed that about 65.60% of the scale population could be predicted by one factor namely, parasitism by Coccophagus sp. These results showed that parasitism by Coccophagus sp. played a major role in regulating the population of the soft green scale infesting sapota.     

Insect natural enemies of coffee green scales [Hemiptera: Coccidae] in Kenya and their potential for biological control ofCoccus celatus andC. viridis in Papua New Guinea

Coffee green scales,Coccus celatus De Lotto andC. viridis (Green), are major pests of coffee in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Surveys for insect natural enemies of coffee green scales were conducted in Kenya to find species suitable for introduction to PNG. Natural enemy communities in Kenya were found to be diverse, particularly those located in the central highlands where 3 primary parasitoids,Metaphycus stanleyi Compere,M. baruensis Noyes andDiversinervus stramineus Compere (Encyrtidae), were dominant onC. celatus andC. alpinus De Lotto. It is suggested that these 3 parasitoids may be potential biological control agents forC. celatus. Several insect predators were found associated withC. celatus in the central highlands but most were only common in ant-free scale populations. An aphelinid primary parasitoid,Coccophagus rusti Compere, was the only natural enemy ofC. viridis located. This species, however, could be of potential as a biological control agent, especially in view of its previous use in biological control against soft scales.      

Confirmation of the existence of alloparasitoids in nature – host relationships of an Australian Coccophagus species that parasitizes mealy bugs

Heteronomous hyperparasitoids are parasitic wasps with sex‐related host relationships that are unique to a group of genera in the chalcidoid family Aphelinidae. Females are primary parasitoids of various sedentary bugs (mainly, scale insects, mealy bugs, and whiteflies). Males, in contrast, are hyperparasitic, and they frequently develop at the expense of female conspecifics. Alloparasitoids constitute a special category of heteronomous hyperparasitoids, for their males never develop through female conspecifics. The existence of alloparasitic host relationships and the utility of the category ‘alloparasitoid’ have both been questioned. Here, we present results that confirm the existence of the alloparasitic way of life among heteronomous aphelinids. We investigated an undescribed species of Coccophagus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), an Australian parasitoid that attacks the introduced lantana mealy bug, Phenacoccus parvus Morrison (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), in Queensland. A year‐long field survey regularly returned large numbers of female Coccophagus spec. near gurneyi individuals from P. parvus (total n = 4212), but only few males (n = 11). Males emerged from samples only when the encyrtid parasitoid Anagyrus diversicornis (Howard) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was present in samples in relatively high numbers. Laboratory oviposition tests confirmed that A. diversicornis is a male host and showed that males do not develop at the expense of conspecific females. Other studies show that males are attracted in numbers to virgin females held in cages above mealy bug‐infested Lantana montevidensis (Spreng.) Briq. (Verbenaceae) in the field, demonstrating that they are common in the population as a whole. This confirms that the males need hosts other than conspecific females and that their usual hosts are present outside of the lantana/P. parvus system. The implications of these results for developing a realistic classification of heteronomous host relationships are discussed.     

黑色软蚧蚜小蜂生物学特性研究

黑色软蚧蚜小蜂Coccophagus yoshidae Nakayama在四川雅安地区一年发生6～7代,以低龄幼虫和蛹在网纹绵蚧2、3龄雌若虫和雌成虫体内越冬。该蜂的发育起点温度和有效积温分别为8.40℃和456.09日度。18℃、21℃、24℃、27℃和30℃恒温条件下的平均世代历期分别为44.60天、38.27天、30.83天、23.73天和20.73天。成虫需取食网纹绵蚧体液作补充营养。生殖方式为产雌孤雌生殖。成蜂羽化高峰在羽化后的第3～6天,每日的羽化高峰出现在8：00～12：00时。成蜂寿命及平均每蜂子代出蜂数量与补充营养和温度关系密切。该蜂对寄主有一定的选择性,偏好寄生较大的雌成虫,其次是2、3龄雌若虫。