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THE NUTRITIONAL ECOLOGY OF A PARASITOID WASP, EPHEDRUS CALIFORNICUS BAKER (HYMENOPTERA: APHIDIIDAE)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

R. Sequeira  and
M. Mackauer
R. Sequeira
Affiliation:
Centre for Pest Management, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
M. Mackauer*
Affiliation:
Centre for Pest Management, Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
*
1Author to whom reprint requests should be sent.
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Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that the pattern of development and growth of a generalist parasitoid wasp varies in different hosts. We reared Ephedras californicus Baker (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae), a solitary parasitoid of aphids, under controlled laboratory conditions on five kinds of hosts: nymphal instar 1 (24 h old), 2 (42 h), 3 (96 h), and 4 (144 h) of apterous virginoparae of Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), and nymphal instar 1 (24 h) of Macrosiphum creelii Davis (Homoptera: Aphididae). Parasitoid dry mass increased with the host instar at parasitization. Females were larger than males although the degree of sexual size dimorphism declined with increased host size. Development time from oviposition to adult eclosion varied non-linearly with the host instar at parasitization, and was shortest in first and fourth nymphal instars. Parasitoids developing in M. creelii gained more mass in less time than their counterparts developing in A. pisum of the same initial size. In low-quality hosts, parasitoids apparently trade off increased development time for a gain in adult mass. A possible explanation of sexual size dimorphism in E. californicus is that large females may be able to overcome aphid defensive behaviours better than small ones.

Résumé

Nous avons éprouvé l’hypothèse selon laquelle le développement et la croissance d’une guêpe parasitoïde généraliste varient en fonction de l’hôte. Nous avons élevé en laboratoire des Ephedrus californicus Baker (Hymenoptera : Aphidiidae), un parasitoïde solitaire des pucerons, dans des conditions expérimentales, sur cinq types d’hôtes, des larves de premier stade (âgées de 24 h), de deuxième stade (42 h), de troisième stade (96 h) et de quatrième stade (144 h) du puceron aptère virginipare Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) et sur des larves de premier stade (24 h) de Macrosiphum creelii Davis (Homoptera : Aphididae). La masse sèche des parasitoïdes augmentait en fonction du stade de l’hôte au moment de l’infestation. Les femelles étaient plus grosses que les mâles, mais l’importance de ce dimorphisme diminuait en fonction inverse de la taille de l’hôte. La durée du développement entre la ponte et l’éclosion des adultes variait selon une fonction non linéaire avec le stade de l’hôte au moment de l’infestation et le développement durait moins longtemps chez les hôtes de premier et de quatrième stades. Les parasitoïdes élevés sur des M. creelii ont subi un gain de masse plus rapide que ceux élevés sur des A. pisum de même taille initiale. Chez les hôtes de qualité moindre, les parasitoïdes semblent troquer le développement de longue durée contre l’acquisition d’une masse plus importante des adultes. Il est possible que les grosses femelles soient mieux armées que les petites contre les comportements de défense des pucerons, ce qui pourrait expliquer le dimorphisme sexuel quant à la taille observé chez E. californicus.

[Traduit par la rédaction]

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 125 , Issue 3 , June 1993 , pp. 423 - 430
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1993

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