Postemergence Experience Affects Sex Ratio Allocation in a Gregarious Insect Parasitoid

We tested the hypotheses that postemergence experience with plants (“early adult learning”) modifies sex ratio and clutch size allocations of Cotesia congregata (Say) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a gregarious larval endoparasitoid of Manduca sexta L. (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Emerging wasps were exposed for 2–3 h to (a) one of two host plants (tomato or tobacco) or no plant, and (b) one of two novel plants (arugula or parsley) or no plant. Each female was permitted a single oviposition in a host offered with one of the two plant species 24 h later. Hosts were reared on laboratory diet before and after parasitization. Wasps exposed to either host plant allocated proportionately more females to hosts offered with the plant species experienced at emergence than wasps with the alternate species, but clutch sizes did not differ. Irrespective of plant species, wasps exposed to novel plants allocated proportionately more females to hosts than wasps without plant experience, and larger clutches to hosts offered with parsley than with arugula. Differential responses to host and novel plants suggest inherent recognition of host foodplants by C. congregata. Results demonstrate a direct effect of learning on reproductive potential.