Kairomonal Stimulation of Oviposition into an Artificial Substrate by the Endoparasitoid Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)1

Tilden, Robert L.; Ferkovich, Stephen M.

doi:10.1093/aesa/81.1.152

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…In other words, the compounds in host hemolymph could be the US to be associated with the odors, and an ovipositor contact with the host compounds also an effective reinforcer for the learned response. Although host hemolymph contains ovipositional kairomones of M. croceipes (Tilden & Ferkovich, 1988) and the kairomones may cause the persistent learned response, the kairomones have not yet been identified. At present, we do not know the compounds involved in persistence of learned response .…”

Section: Effect Of Frass Contact and Oviposition On Retention Of Learmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning of host searching cues by the larval parasitoid Microplitis croceipes

Takasu

Lewis

2003

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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We conducted laboratory experiments using a wind tunnel to determine the effects of prior experience on the learning and retention of learned responses in the larval parasitoid Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Although most females that had either antennated host frass or oviposited in a host in the presence of vanilla odor, made oriented flight to the odor from downwind in the wind tunnel at 30 min after experience, only those that had oviposited in a host with the odor responded to the odor at 24 h after experience. Females that had oviposited in the non-natural host beet armyworm (BAW) larva with or without the odor did not respond to the odor at 30 min after experience. These results indicate that an oviposition in the host in the presence of odors strongly affects associative learning and the persistence of learned response to the odors. When females were allowed to antennate host frass in the presence of vanilla and to subsequently oviposit in a host within an interval of 5 min or less, their learned response to vanilla also persisted for 24 h. Similarly, when females were conditioned to link vanilla with host frass and then allowed to make an ovipositor contact with host hemolymph, their learned response persisted for 24 h. However, antennal contact with hemolymph after such conditioning of vanilla with host frass did not improve the persistence of learned response to the odor. These results indicate that ovipositor contact with host hemolymph during oviposition is partially responsible for an increased retention of learned response. Females responded to vanilla 48% of the time at 30 min after antennating host frass without the odor, but their response to the odor significantly decreased after oviposition in a BAW larva subsequent to the antennation of host frass. This result indicates that oviposition in a BAW larva decreases subsequent response to general odors. Based on the results, we discuss the foraging behavior of M. croceipes dependent on learning and subsequent experiences.

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Section: Effect Of Frass Contact and Oviposition On Retention Of Learmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning of host searching cues by the larval parasitoid Microplitis croceipes

Takasu

Lewis

2003

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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“…Once females are stimulated with host products such as frass, oral secretion, or hemolymph of hosts, they jump to a host moving nearby, sting it for a few seconds and then leave it. The stimulated females also easily oviposit in the artificial host made of agar containing host hemolymph or in factitious lepidopteran larvae applied with host hemolymph or host frass (Tilden and Ferkovich 1988;Blumberg and Ferkovich 1994;Takasu and Lewis 2003). The importance of this behavior on conspecific attack is illustrated by our observation that the females stimulated with host-infested plants sting another female on the plant.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…When M. croceipes females stimulated with host frass or host-infested plants encounter a host, they quickly attack the host to lay an egg into the host. The simulated M. croceipes females also easily oviposit in lepidopteran larvae other than natural hosts and the artificial host made of agar that were applied with hemolymph of natural hosts (Tilden and Ferkovich 1988;Blumberg and Ferkovich 1994;Takasu and Lewis 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The larval parasitoid Microplitis croceipes oviposits in conspecific adults

Takasu

2006

Naturwissenschaften

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Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is a larval parasitoid of Helicoverpa/Heliothis spp. In the course of mass rearing of M. croceipes, we found that females oviposited in the conspecific adults in rearing cages. When 20 pairs of inexperienced females and males or of experienced females and males were reared in a cage, the males lived for 14-15 days and the females for 18-20 days on average. At their death, 37-42% of the males and 50-57% of the females contained conspecific eggs or first instar larvae in their abdominal cavity. When two of inexperienced females met on a host-infested leaf of soybean, they attempted to sting each other. Of the attacked females, 30% contained a conspecific egg laid in their abdomen. In abdominal cavity of the adults parasitized by a conspecific female, the majority of the parasitoid eggs laid disappeared within 1 day after oviposition. Only 10-30% of the parasitoid eggs laid in conspecific adults hatched 3-4 days after oviposition, but those larvae never molted to second instar. When the adults were stung by one or two conspecific females, their subsequent longevity was significantly shorter than that for the control adults. Oviposition in conspecific adults may be prevalent in other parasitic wasps that quickly oviposit without intensive host examination, and have cuticle and size of abdomen to be stung by conspeicifcs.

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“…These ovipositor sensilla probably have an important function in the whole host selection process, both for the recognition of already parasitized host from unparasitized one, and for the perception of kairomonal cues that stimulate the egg-laying decision (Wn & Qin, 1982 ;Tilden & Ferkovitch, 1988 ;Kainoh & Tatsuki, 1988).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%