Offspring production and self-superparasitism in the solitary ectoparasitoidSpalangia cameroni(Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in relation to host abundance

Abstract

Parasitoid fitness strongly depends on the availability and quality of hosts, which provide all resources required for larval development. Several factors, such as host size and previous parasitation, may affect host quality. Because self-superparasitism induces competition among a female's offspring, it should only occur if there is an imperfect recognition of self-parasitized hosts or if there is a fitness advantage to self-superparasitism. Against this background, we investigated self-superparasitism and offspring production in Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in relation to the abundance of a novel host, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae). Individual pairs of parasitoids were provided with either two (low host abundance) or ten (high host abundance) pupae per day. Under high host abundance, lifetime fecundity (number of eggs laid), offspring number, number of pupae parasitized and hosts killed were greater than under low host abundance, whereas the number of eggs per host was lower; and the proportion of hosts that did not produce offspring tended to be lower. The latter suggests the occurrence of ovicide, when hosts are scarce due to an at least imperfect recognition of previously self-parasitized hosts. Offspring production per parasitized pupa was higher when hosts were scarce and levels of self-superparasitism high, suggesting the existence of beneficial effects of self-superparasitism.

Avoidance of parasitized host by female wasps of Aphidius gifuensis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): The role of natal rearing effects and host availability?

“…As a solitary parasitoid, only one offspring could survive to adult in a host. Self superparasitism will increase competition among siblings (Darrouzet et al ., ; Böckmann et al ., ), so it often means a waste of time and eggs for A. gifuensis females when enough healthly hosts are available; further, hosts that had already been parasitized are generally of low host quality, and in turn, cause low quality offspring. Self superparasitism rate of A. gifuensis on two hosts increased as the host density decreased.…”

Intraguild interactions between two biological control agents in citrus fruit: implications for biological control of medfly

“…Based on data obtained in previous studies on the parasitism capacity shown by S. cameroni (Tormos et al, , , ; Boeckmann et al, ), various C. capitata pupae densities (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14, 20, 30 and 40) were exposed to S. cameroni mated (=fertilised) females. One S. cameroni mated female was initially used per density.…”

“…In this experiment, adults of P. rufipes and S. cameroni mated females were, again, obtained from laboratory colonies. Various C. capitata pupae densities (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 14, 20, 30 and 40) – established according to previous studies of parasitism/predation capacity on C. capitata pupae, shown by both natural enemies (Monzó et al, , ; Tormos et al, , , ; Boeckmann et al, ) – were exposed to parasitoids and predators together. One P. rufipes adult and one S. cameroni mated female were initially used per density but the experiment was repeated with three times larger the initial numbers of the host, parasitoid and predator as explained above for previous experiments.…”

“…In this respect, Spalangia cameroni Perkins (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), an idiobiont and solitary primary ectoparasitoid of the pupae of various dipteran pests (Rueda & Axtell, ; King, ; Tormos et al, ), which is sold commercially as a biological control agent against filth flies (Diptera: Muscidae) (Birkemoe et al, ), was identified in Spain as a parasitoid of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Falcó et al, ). Since then, the Valencian Institute for Agricultural Research (IVIA, Valencia, Spain) has explored the possibility of using S. cameroni , through augmentative releases, as a biological control agent of fruit flies including C. capitata (Tormos et al, ; Boeckmann et al, ).…”

Mechanism and consequences for avoidance of superparasitism in the solitary parasitoid Cotesia vestalis

“…In parasitoid Microplitis rufiventris (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), superparasitism increases the success rate of emergence of wasp larvae when using a suboptimal host (advanced host) 8 . In the parasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), when hosts are scare, superparasitism is observed and offspring production per parasitized host increases 9 . Superparasitism can help larvae of the parasitoid Pseudapanteles dignus evade host encapsulation 10 .…”