Annals of the Entomological Society of America

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Annals of the Entomological Society of America 98(4):595-600. 2005
doi: 10.1603/0013-8746(2005)098[0595:OCIHFB]2.0.CO;2

Olfactory Cues in Host Finding by Melittobia digitata (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)

Christian S. A. Silva-torresa, Robert W. Matthewsb, John R. Rubersona, and W. Joe Lewisc

aDepartment of Entomology, Coastal Plain Experiment Station, P.O. Box 748, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA 31793-0748

bDepartment of Entomology, 413 Biological Science Bldg., University of Georgia, Athens, GA 306020-2603

cUSDA, Tifton, GA 31794

Abstract

Chemical signals used by parasitoids to find hosts often originate from the host, its habitat, or both, providing critical cues for locating hosts that are often cryptic or highly dispersed. Melittobia Westwood are gregarious ectoparasitoids, which primarily attack Trypoxylon politum Say prepupae. How Melittobia locates its host is unknown, but it may involve host-related chemical signals. Therefore, this study focused on whether host location by Melittobia digitata Dahms is mediated by olfactory stimuli. In a small arena, which contained a choice of potential hosts [T. politum prepupa, Megachile rotundata (F.) prepupa, or Sarcophaga bullata (Parker) puparium], empty host pupal cases, or nest mud—all of which were visually and physically isolated from the parasitoid—Mel. digitata successfully located host patches and spent significantly more time on those than on control (blank and dummy) patches. Results suggest that Mel. digitata females may be arrested by host-related chemicals.

Received: July 8, 2004; Accepted: November 20, 2004

Keywords: parasitism, chemoreception, host location, flesh fly, leafcutting bee



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Fig. 1. Base of choice arena used in this study. Top was a petri dish 15 cm in diameter (not shown). One well of the base was filled with a host treatment; the second with a piece of glass rod (dummy), and the third was empty (the blank control). The wells and the entire arena were covered with a single piece of filter paper, and one parasitoid female was introduced in the center of the arena for each trial. A female was considered to have responded upon entering the respective small patch (dotted line) surrounding each well. When extracts were used as odor source they were applied on the filter paper within the same patch around the well

Fig. 2. Frequencies of first choice made by responding single mated inexperienced Mel. digitata females tested in an arena containing a possible host and controls (average of dummy and blank) during a 20-min trial (n = 20). Bar followed by an asterisk is significantly different from the control (χ2 = 0.2857, P = 0.0455). Mud + cocoon + Trypoxylon prepupae [Typ (M+C+P)]; naked Trypoxylon prepupa [Typ (P)]; Trypoxylon empty cocoon [Typ (C)]; Trypoxylon cocoon extract [Typ (Cex)]; Trypoxylon naked prepupae extract [Typ (Pex)]; mud [Typ (M)]; Sarcophaga bullata puparia [Bf]; Megachile cocoon extract [Meg (Cex)]; Megachile prepupa + cocoon [Meg (P+C)]; and Megachile empty cocoon [Meg (C)]

table

Table 1. Mean time (s) spent by single, mated, inexperienced Mel. digitata females during a 20-min trial responding to various combinations of T. politum hosts compared with controls

table

Table 2. Mean time (s) spent by single, mated, inexperienced Mel. digitata female during a 20-min trial responding to Meg. rotundata (various combinations), S. bullata, or hexane extracts compared with controls

Cited by

Robert W. Matthews, Jorge M. González, Janice R. Matthews, Leif D. Deyrup. (2009) Biology of the Parasitoid Melittobia (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae)*. Annual Review of Entomology 54:1, 251-266
Online publication date: 1-Feb-2009.
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Johanna Häckermann, Anja S. Rott, Silvia Dorn. (2008) Consequences of mixed species infestation on the searching behavior and parasitism success of a larval parasitoid. BioControl 53:5, 725-736
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Makiko Inoue, Tomoji Endo. (2008) Below-ground host location by Campsomeriella annulata (Hymenoptera: Scoliidae), a parasitoid of scarabaeid grubs. Journal of Ethology 26:1, 43-50
Online publication date: 1-Feb-2008.
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Christian S. A. da SILVA TORRES, Robert W. MATTHEWS, John R. RUBERSON, W. Joe LEWIS. (2006) Role of chemical cues and natal rearing effect on host recognition by the parasitic wasp Melittobia digitata. Entomological Science 8:4, 355-362
Online publication date: 1-Jan-2006.
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