The influence of genetic variation on pre‐oviposition processes for host‐parasitoid co‐evolution

Abstract

Despite the importance of parasitoid wasps as biological control agents and the vast literature available on different aspects of their natural history and ecology, it is only recently that an interest in integrating genetics into aphid‐parasitoid studies has emerged. Some studies have been completed on the effect of genetic variation on aphid parasitism outcomes, especially after the description of aphid physiological resistance to parasitoids and its role in their co‐evolution. The interaction between aphids and parasitoids goes beyond the physiological conflict between the parasitoid egg and the aphid internal defences. A series of aphid and parasitoid attributes, that can be influenced by biotic and abiotic factors, precedes that last step in the oviposition process. The understanding of how genetic variation can play a crucial role in influencing the pre‐egg‐laying stages of the aphid‐parasitoid interaction remains relatively unexplored. Here, we review currently available information on this topic. We contextualise the aphid‐parasitoid co‐evolution process exemplified by the post‐oviposition approach. Knowledge gaps are also discussed and the significance of fulfilling them is addressed. An ecology‐evolutionary perspective on aphid‐parasitoid research is advocated, by incorporating genetic variation into the study of aphid‐parasitoid co‐evolution. This will increase the understanding of the adaptation and evolution of both organism's characteristics in response to each other and abiotic pressures, and also the implications for pest management.