Role of Caterpillar Silk Thread in Location of Host Pupae by the Parasitoid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Diadromus pulchellus</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Eric?ThiboutEmail author |
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Institution: | (1) Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie des Insectes, UMR CNRS 6035, Université F. Rabelais, Faculté des Sciences, Parc Grandmont, Tours, France, 37200 |
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Abstract: | Diadromus pulchellus is a solitary ichneumonid parasitoid. Its only known host is the pupa of Acrolepiopsis assectella, a specialist herbivore of Allium species. D. pulchellus females parasitize A. assectella pupae within 48 h after the caterpillars spin their cocoon and begin to pupate. Having observed that the cocoon produced
by the leek moth caterpillar stimulates parasitoid egg-laying and that caterpillar leaves a silk thread, we studied the hypothesis
that silk thread might be involved in host-finding by the parasitoid. Behavioral tests showed that when D. pulchellus females encounter a host silk thread, they change directions, follow the thread, and quickly locate the host. These findings
show that pupal parasitoids can use signals produced by their hosts at the developmental instar preceding the one that they
parasitize. |
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Keywords: | pupae silk thread parasitoid host-finding leek moth trail-following |
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