Ovipositional response ofVenturia canescens (Grav.) (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) to various host and parasite densities

Summary Ovipositional response inVenturia canescens (Grav.) parasitizingAnagasta kühniella (Zeller) is analyzed for all combinations of five parasite densities (2, 5, 10, 25, and 50), four host densities (25, 50, 100, and 200), and three floor area universe sizes (76 cm², 160 cm², and 345 cm²). Over this range, no mutual interference (as measured by decreasing parasite fecundity) was observed, althoughNicholson’s area of discovery decreased significantly with parasite density increase as a result of a non-Poisson distribution of parasite eggs; use of this parameter is therefore not a suitable means of determining if mutual interference is present. Other parameters studied, and for which significant correlations were obtained, include mean parasite eggs per host, percentage parasitization, percentage of parasite eggs wasted, and negative binomialk approximations. This study was conducted as part of a broad investigation into the processes operating in the dynamics of arthropod populations under a grant toC. B. Huffaker by the U.S. Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health.     

Displacement in two invasive species of leafminer fly in different localities

Liriomyza sativae was displaced by L. trifolii in the USA probably due to the lower insecticide susceptibility of L. trifolii, but L. trifolii was displaced by L. sativae in Japan. To know the possible causes of the species displacement observed in Japan, differences in the insecticide susceptibility, fecundity, effects of natural enemies, and reproductive interference between L. trifolii and L. sativae were evaluated. As a result, the higher fecundity of L. sativae and differential effects of parasitoids on the two Liriomyza species are considered to be contributing factors.     

Host discrimination in two species of ichneumonid wasps, Diadegma spp., attacking larvae of Plutella xylostella

Host discrimination was investigated in two related species of ichneumonid wasps: Diadegma eucerophaga Horst. and D. fenestralis (Holmgr.) attacking a common host, the diamond-back moth Plutella xylostella (L.). In the laboratory, I studied: (1) the relative amounts of time spent between patches containing unparasitized or parasitized hosts, (2) the results of parasitoid encounters with parasitized and unparasitized hosts, (3) dissections to reveal whether or not the wasps preferred to oviposit in unparasitized hosts. D. eucerophaga showed discrimination by (1) avoiding patches containing parasitized hosts and by (2) preference to oviposit in unparasitized larvae. No discrimination was detected for D. fenestralis at any of the three levels.In the field, a population consisting primarity of D. eucerophaga was presented to plants containin either unparasitized or previously-parasitized larvae. Although superparasitism occurred, the wasps preferred to oviposit in the unparasitized larvae.

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Résumé La sélection a été examinée sur P. xylostella attaqué par deux espèces voisines Diadegma eucerophaga et D. fenestralis. La sélection a été examinée examinée à 3 niveaux au laboratoire: (1) par la comparaison des temps passés sur feuilles portant des chenilles parasitées ou non; (2) par l'analyse des résultats des rencontres avec chenilles parasitées ou non; (3) par des dissections pour examiner dans quel type la ponte a lieu de préférence. Les résultats prouvent une sélection chez D. eucerophaga qui évite les feuilles portant des chenilles parasitées, et pond de préférence dans les chenilles non parasitées. Les chenilles parasitées sont autant attaquées que les saines (insertion de la tarière), ce qui suggère peut-être un signal interne et l'aptitude à ne pas pondre après sa détection. Aucune preuve de sélection à ces trois niveaux n'a pu être apportée pour D. fenestralis. Une explication est suggérée.La sélection par une population naturelle de D. eucerophaga a aussi été étudiée dans la nature en lui présentant des chenilles parasitées ou non. Bien qu'il y ait eu un superparasitisme, les ichneumonides ont préféré pondre dans les chenilles non parasitées.

     

Transient expression of specific Cotesia plutellae bracoviral segments induces prolonged larval development of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella

A polydnavirus, Cotesia plutellae bracovirus (CpBV), possesses a segmented and dispersed genome that is located on chromosome(s) of its symbiotic endoparasitic wasp, C. plutellae. When the host wasp parasitizes larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, at least 27 viral genome segments are delivered to the parasitized host along with the wasp egg. The parasitized P. xylostella exhibits significant immunosuppression and a prolonged larval development. Parasitized larvae take about 2 days longer than nonparasitized larvae to develop until the wandering stage of the final larval instar, and die after egress of the full grown wasp larvae. Developmental analysis using juvenile hormone and ecdysteroid analogs suggests that altering endocrine signals could induce the retardation of larval developmental rate in P. xylostella. In this study we used a transient expression technique to micro-inject individual CpBV genome segments, and tested their ability to induce delayed larval development of P. xylostella. We demonstrated that a CpBV segment was able to express its own encoded genes when it was injected into nonparasitized larvae, in which the expression patterns of the segment genes were similar to those in the larvae parasitized by C. plutellae. Twenty three CpBV genome segments were individually cloned and injected into the second instar larvae of P. xylostella and their effects assessed by measuring the time taken for host development to the cocooning stage. Three CpBV genome segments markedly interfered with the host larval development. When the putative genes of these segments were analyzed, it was found that they did not share any common genes. Among these segments able to delay host development, segment S27 was predicted to encode seven protein tyrosine phosphatases (CpBV-PTPs), some of which were mutated by insertional inactivation with transposons, while other encoded gene expressions were unaffected. The mutant segments were unable to induce prolonged larval development of P. xylostella. These results suggest that CpBV can induce prolonged larval development of P. xylostella, and that at least some CpBV-PTPs may contribute to the parasitic role probably by altering titers of developmental hormones.     

Host Preference and Progeny Sex Ratio in a Solitary Koinobiont Mealybug Endoparasitoid, Anagyrus Pseudococci (Girault), in Response to its Host Stage

Anagyrus pseudococci (Girault) , a koinobiont endoparasitoid , is a potential biological control agent of the citrus mealybug Planococcus citri (Risso) . This paper examines the effect of host stage of the mealybugs on the parasitoid preference , development , survival and sex ratio of the offspring . Host susceptibility and preference tests showed that the parasitoid had a significant preference for the older host instars . Percentage parasitization increased 4.8 - fold in the adult stage , compared with the second - instar host , although the parasitoid developed and emerged successfully from all stages . Mean developmental time for male parasitoids was faster than for the females . There was some evidence of delayed development of males in young hosts . Higher percentage emergence of parasitoid was observed from older mealybugs . A. pseudococci exhibited maternal adjustment of sex ratio as a function of host size with an increased proportion of females with the increasing host size . Females maximized their fitness by adjusting offspring sex ratio in response to host size without evaluating the future host quality . This information is important for mass rearing of A. pseudococci and for evaluating it in a biological control programme for P. citri.     

Pattern of Egg Management by Trichogramma cacoeciae and T. dendrolimi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

The effect of temporary host deprivation on parasitization rates of Trichogramma cacoeciae Marchal and T. dendrolimi Matsumura was investigated. The study was conducted with females that we allowed to engage in 3 days of oviposition after various periods of host deprivation. It seems that the production and management of eggs by the two species is completely different. During the first day of oviposition, parasitization by T. cacoeciae was almost unaffected after 1 to 5 days of host deprivation. As deprivation time increased, however, the number of parasitized hosts decreased from an average of 28.6 ±2.0 hosts provided at emergence to an average of 12.5 ±2.3 hosts when the waiting time was 10 days. The number of hosts parasitized on the first day of parasitization by T. dendrolimi were not affected whatever the waiting test period. During the second or third days of oviposition, the lack of suitable hosts for T. cacoeciae did not depress egg-laying potentiality, whereas a strong reduction in parasitization rates by T. dendrolimi occurred in the next 2 days of oviposition whatever was the waiting period. This leads to ca. 50% reduction in total activity of 3 days of oviposition. Only in T. cacoeciae was it possible to distinguish between ageing and host deprivation. The data suggest that T. dendrolimi is a typical proovigenic species, while T. cacoeciae is neither definitely proovigenic nor synovigenic. A slight decrease in rate of emergence of offspring of T. cacoeciae females that had waited 8 to 10 days for their hosts was observed. As far as biological control is concerned, the efficiency of T. dendrolimi females may be more sensitive to host deprivation than T. cacoeciae.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Toxoneuron nigriceps</Emphasis> parasitization delays midgut replacement in fifth-instar <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heliothis virescens</Emphasis> larvae

We have analyzed the effects of Toxoneuron nigriceps parasitization on the midgut development of its host Heliothis virescens. In parasitized H. virescens larvae, the midgut epithelium undergoes a complete replacement, which is qualitatively not different to that observed in synchronous unparasitized larvae, with similar temporal profiles of cell death and metabolic activity. However, the whole gut replacement process is significantly delayed in parasitized larvae, with complete differentiation of the new gut epithelium being observed 4 days later than in unparasitized controls. The administration of juvenile hormone before commitment and of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) after commitment delays and fosters, respectively, the replacement process of the midgut epithelium; moreover, the injection of 20E into developmentally arrested and 20E-deficient host last-instar larvae parasitized by T. nigriceps immediately triggers regular gut development. These hormone-based experiments suggest that endocrine alterations in the larval host, induced by T. nigriceps parasitism, are responsible for the temporal alterations in the gut replacement process. The role of this parasitoid-induced developmental change in the host regulation process is discussed. This work was partially supported by FAR 2006–2007 (University of Insubria) to G.T., by MIUR-FIRB-COFIN (grant no. RBNE01YXA8/2004077251), and by the Centro Grandi Attrezzature (University of Insubria).