Oviposition behaviour of Gryon gallardoi (Hymenoptera, Scelionidae) on eggs of different ages of Spartocera dentiventris (Hemiptera, Coreidae)

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The oviposition behaviour of Gryon gallardoi (Brèthes, 1914) on eggs of Spartocera dentiventris (Berg, 1884) of different ages (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 12 days) was investigated. Groups of 12 eggs of each age were exposed to single females of G. gallardoi, and the oviposition behaviour was recorded under a stereomicroscope for two hours. Ten replicates were used for each age. In order to identify the moment the parasitoid egg was released inside the host, 1-day old eggs of S. dentiventris were exposed to G. gallardoi females, and the oviposition was interrupted at intervals of 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140 and 160s after ovipositor insertion had initiated. Five behavioural steps were recorded: drumming, ovipositor insertion, marking, walking and resting. The average drumming and ovipositor insertion times increased with the host age (P<0.01). Ovipositor insertion usually occurred next to the longitudinal extremities of the host eggs. Marking took on average 19.5 ± 0.7s, and as walking and resting, was not affected by host age. Self-parasitism behaviour was observed in only 13.8 ± 2.3% of the eggs, being more evident with increasing patch depletion (reduction in non-parasitized eggs in the egg group, P<0.01), again with no variation due to changes in host egg age. For all ages tested, self-parasitized host eggs were less frequently contacted and accepted than non-parasitized ones (P<0.01). The parasitoid egg was released 137.0 ± 3.7s after ovipositor insertion. Spartocera dentiventris egg condition can lead to parasitoid behavioural changes, especially during the process of host choice and discrimination.KEYWORDS. Scelionidae, parasitoid, behaviour, host selection. P<0,01). A inserção do ovipositor ocorreu, na maioria das vezes, nas extremidades longitudinais dos ovos. A marcação durou, em média, 19,5 ± 0,7s, e assim como a caminhada e o descanso, não foi influenciada pela idade do hospedeiro. O comportamento de auto-parasitismo não foi influenciado pela idade do hospedeiro e foi observado somente em 13,8 ± 2,3% dos ovos, sendo mais evidente à medida que o número de ovos não-parasitados no grupo diminuía (P<0,01). Em todas as idades testadas, ovos autoparasitados foram menos contatados e menos aceitos pelo parasitóide (P<0,01). O ovo do parasitóide foi liberado após 140 e 160s após a inserção do ovipositor. Os resultados sugerem que a condição dos ovos de S dentiventris pode acarretar em mudanças comportamentais no parasitóide, especialmente durante o processo de escolha e discriminação dos mesmos. PALAVRAS-CHAVE.Scelionidae, parasitóide, comportamento, seleção de hospedeiros.

Oviposition behaviour of mated or unmated Cleruchoides noackae (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae)

“…noackae females evaluated in a plastic petri dish for 30 min taking 35 seconds for this behaviour at 22 °C [ 51 ]. However, the external evaluation time taken for a female to recognize and parasitize a host may decrease with successive egg handling experience [ 52 ] and host age due to internal physical and chemical changes in the eggs [ 26 , 53 ], and with the recognition of host chemicals or lesions produced during ovipositor insertion [ 47 ].…”

“…recognize and parasitize a host may decrease with successive egg handling experience [52] and host age due to internal physical and chemical changes in the eggs [26,53], and with the recognition of host chemicals or lesions produced during ovipositor insertion [47].…”