Intraspecific larval competition in Meteorus pulchricornis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a solitary endoparasitoid of lepidopteran larvae

Abstract

Intraspecific competition of larvae in superparasitism was examined in Meteorus pulchricornis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a solitary endoparasitoid of lepidopteran larvae. The outcome of competition principally depended on the time interval between two ovipositions by conspecific females. Lethal symmetrical competition by physical attacks with sharp mandibles occurred between first-instar larvae just after or before hatching when two eggs were laid almost simultaneously into the same host within 30 min. During asymmetrical competition between first-instar larvae oviposited at an interval of 24 h, older larvae tended to win against younger ones. However, during competition between first-and second-instar larvae oviposited at an interval of 72 h, the first instar always killed amandibulate second instars by physical attacks using the mandibles. In contrast, obvious developmental delays, but not death, of young first-instar larvae were detected as a result of asymmetrical competition at a 96-h interval. We did not observe egg mortality during either symmetrical or asymmetrical competition.

Effects of Self-Superparasitism and Host Age on Fitness-Correlated Traits in the Solitary Endoparasitoid WaspMeteorus pulchricornis

“…The results provide data in support of some other studies, which ob served that superparasitism in solitary parasitoids delays the development of the progeny ( Eller et al 1990 ; Harvey et al 1993 ; Hegazi and Khafagi 2005 ; Chau and Maeto 2008 ; Tunca and Kilinger 2009 ), increases larval mortality ( Vinson and Spoka 1978 ; Tunca and Kilinger 2009 ), and results in offspring small in body size ( Harvey et al 1993 ; Tunca and Kilinger 2009 ). The fitness costs in development of parasitoid progeny in a super parasitized host are generally assumed to be due to increased competition for limited resources among progeny inside the host (van Lenteren 1981; Waage and Godfray 1986).…”

“…M. pulchricornis has a wide host range of exposed-living lepidopteran larvae ( Huddleston 1980 ; Maeto 1989 , 1990) and is a potential biological control agent against some lepidopteran pests ( Fuester et al 1993 ; Liu and Li 2006 ; Chau and Maeto 2008 ; Wu et al 2008 ). The host suitability for development of the parasitoid progeny varies with host instars at the time of oviposition ( Askari et al 1977 ; Liu and Li 2006 , 2008).…”

Different responses of a solitary (Meteorus pulchricornis) and a gregarious (Cotesia kariyai) endoparasitoid to four insecticides in the host Pseudaletia separata

“…It was maintained using P. separata as the host under laboratory conditions, but has a wide host range. 16) C. kariyai and M. pulchricornis adult wasps were fed a 10-15% sugar solution absorbed in a piece of cotton, and were kept for 1 day and 1 week, respectively, after adult eclosion to enhance ovipositional activity until used in the experiments. Parasitization was performed carefully to avoid superparasitism.…”

Host movement initiates oviposition behavior of Meteorus pulchricornis, a braconid parasitoid of free-living lepidopteran larvae

“…Meteorus pulchricornis (Braconidae) is a solitary endoparasitoid of various free-living lepidopteran larvae that usually expose themselves on plant foliage (Maeto, 1989;Berry and Walker, 2004;Chau and Maeto, 2008). Its original distribution spanned the Palearctic ecozone (Huddleston, 1980), but biparental strains were introduced from Europe into the United States for biological control of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar (Fuester et al, 1993).…”