Eur. J. Entomol. 96 (4): 369-373, 1999
Host spatial pattern influences induction of parasitization by Trichogramma (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)
- Zoological Institute, 199034, St. Petersburg, Russia; e-mail: reznik@weed.zin.ras.spb.ru
The influence of host intrapatch spatial distribution on parasitoid host acceptance behavior was investigated with Trichogramma principium parasitizing eggs of grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella. Single females were placed in Petri dishes, each containing 60 host eggs arranged either as a compact patch or partitioned into 60 or 12 clusters each consisting of 1 or 5 eggs, respectively. Partitioned patches provoked parasitization more often than compact patches. The percentage of ovipositing females (i.e., females parasitizing at least one of 60 host eggs) increased with the number of clusters, while it was independent of the intercluster distance over intervals of 2.5-15 mm. The mean number of eggs parasitized by ovipositing females during 48 h was almost independent of the host egg spatial pattern. As a result, the rate of parasitization was higher when the hosts were sparsely distributed within a patch than when they were aggregated.
Keywords: Parasitoids, Hymenoptera, Trichogramma, ecology, behavior, host distribution, host density
Received: July 1, 1998; Accepted: September 28, 1998; Published: December 20, 1999 Show citation
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