Male field crickets infested by parasitoid flies express phenotypes that may benefit the parasitoids

Beckers, Oliver M.; Wagner, William E.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.08.013

Cited by 6 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 57 publications

(83 reference statements)

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“…For example, parasitic infestation may cause sex-role reversals (Simmons 1994) and changes in reproductive patterns and behaviour (e.g. Baudoin 1975; Ritchie & Høeg 1981; Rupp 1996; Zakikhani & Rau 1999; Beckers & Wagner 2011b) and in nonreproductive behaviour (e.g. Moore 1995; Libersat et al 2009).…”

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“…In the field, infestation rates of G. lineaticeps can be as high as 60% for males and 6% for females (Martin & Wagner 2010). Infestation is typically always lethal for the host, and the host dies within 7–10 days of infestation (Adamo et al 1995b; Beckers & Wagner 2011b). Infested males substantially reduce their singing within 1 day after infestation (Beckers & Wagner 2011b).…”

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“…Infestation is typically always lethal for the host, and the host dies within 7–10 days of infestation (Adamo et al 1995b; Beckers & Wagner 2011b). Infested males substantially reduce their singing within 1 day after infestation (Beckers & Wagner 2011b). In other species of Gryllus , females that were infested with O. ochracea larvae showed reduced reproductive behaviour (e.g.…”

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Parasitoid infestation changes female mating preferences

Beckers

Wagner

2013

Animal Behaviour

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Females often adjust their mating preference to environmental and social conditions. This plasticity of preference can be adaptive for females and can have important consequences for the evolution of male traits. While predation and parasitism are widespread, their effects on female preferences have rarely been investigated. Females of the cricket Gryllus lineaticeps are parasitized by the parasitoid fly Ormia ochracea. Infestation with fly larvae substantially reduces female life span and thus reproductive opportunities of the cricket. Both female G. lineaticeps and flies orient to male song and both prefer male songs with faster chirp rates to songs with slower chirp rates. We tested the effect of parasitic infestation on female responsiveness to male song and female chirp rate preferences. The proportion of individuals responding to male songs did not differ between infested and control females. Control females preferred intermediate chirp rates to slow chirp rates and did not discriminate between fast and intermediate chirp rates. In contrast, infested females showed no preferences in the choice trials, indicating reduced chirp rate selectivity. This plasticity in female preferences may be adaptive; parasitized females may have a higher probability of reproducing before they are killed by the parasitoids if they are less selective (i.e. there will be a larger pool of males considered acceptable). The change in preferences suggests relaxed selection on male chirp rate during times of parasitism.

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Parasitoid infestation changes female mating preferences

Beckers

Wagner

2013

Animal Behaviour

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“…Many animals exhibit altered behaviour when infected by parasites (Moore, 1995(Moore, , 2002Cezilly & PerrotMinnot, 2005;Thomas et al, 2005) and arthropods provide various examples of host behaviour manipulation (Fritz, 1982;Godfray, 1994;Beckers & Wagner, 2011). These include altered patterns of web spinning in spiders (Eberhard, 2001) Roitberg, 1987;Biron et al, 2005), induced defensive behaviours (Ponton et al, 2006;Grosman et al, 2008), use of the host body as a defensive shield (Brodeur & Vet, 1994) and orientation to safe pupation sites (Brodeur & McNeil, 1992;Eberhard, 2000;Henne & Johnson, 2007).…”

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Seasonal cues mediate host behaviour modification and cocoon polymorphism in Microplitis mediator (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Luo¹,

Michaud²,

Li³

et al. 2013

Eur. J. Entomol.

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“…Acoustically orienting tachinid parasitoids (tribe Ormiini) parasitize crickets and katydids (Orthoptera) (Lehmann 2003), while sarcophagid acoustic parasitoids, which are currently placed in the genus Emblemasoma (sensu Pape (1990)), parasitize cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) (Soper et al 1976;Schniederkötter and Lakes-Harlan 2004). Because acoustic signals are often more amenable to experimental manipulation than pheromones, acoustic parasitoids have become valuable model organisms for investigating sexual signal exploitation and its consequences (e.g., Adamo et al 1995;Allen 1998;Gray and Cade 1999;Müller and Robert 2002;Lehmann and Lehmann 2006;Beckers and Wagner 2011).…”

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Infection behavior, life history, and host parasitism rates of Emblemasoma erro (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), an acoustically hunting parasitoid of the cicada Tibicen dorsatus (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)

Stucky

2015

Zool. Stud.

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Background: 'Eavesdropping' parasitoids find their hosts by homing in on the communication signals of other insects. These parasitoids often exploit chemical communication, but at least some species of the sarcophagid genus Emblemasoma eavesdrop on the acoustic communications of cicadas. Despite considerable scientific interest in acoustic parasitoids, we know remarkably little about most species of Emblemasoma. To better understand the ecology and behavioral diversity of these flies, I used a combination of field and laboratory techniques to elucidate the infection behavior and life history of E. erro, which uses the cicada Tibicen dorsatus as a host, and I also investigated parasitoid loads and parasitism rates of T. dorsatus in multiple host populations in the central United States.Results: Female E. erro used the acoustic signals of male T. dorsatus as the primary means of locating hosts, but they also required physical movement by the host, usually either walking or flight, to provide visual cues for the final larviposition attack. Larvae were deposited directly on the host's integument and burrowed through intersegmental membrane to enter the host's body. On average, E. erro larvae spent 88.0 h residing inside their host before leaving to pupariate, but residence time was strongly dependent on both ambient temperature and effective clutch size. Adult flies eclosed about 18 days after pupariation. Across all study sites, the mean parasitoid load of infected male T. dorsatus was 4.97 larvae/host, and the overall parasitism rate was 26.3%. Parasitism rates and parasitoid loads varied considerably among host population samples, and high parasitism rates were usually associated with high parasitoid loads. Conclusions: Previously, detailed information about the infection behavior, life history, and host parasitism rates of sarcophagid acoustic parasitoids was only available for one species, E. auditrix. This study reveals that the infection behavior of E. erro is quite different from that of E. auditrix and, more broadly, unlike that known for any other species of acoustic parasitoid. The life histories of these two Emblemasoma are also divergent. These differences suggest that sarcophagid acoustic parasitoids are more behaviorally and ecologically diverse than previously recognized and in need of further study.

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Male field crickets infested by parasitoid flies express phenotypes that may benefit the parasitoids

Cited by 6 publications

References 57 publications

Parasitoid infestation changes female mating preferences

Parasitoid infestation changes female mating preferences

Seasonal cues mediate host behaviour modification and cocoon polymorphism in Microplitis mediator (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Infection behavior, life history, and host parasitism rates of Emblemasoma erro (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), an acoustically hunting parasitoid of the cicada Tibicen dorsatus (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)

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