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Host behaviour and its influence on foraging and acceptance by the solitary parasitoid wasp,Venturia canescens (Hym: Ichneumonidae)

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Abstract

Behavioural interactions between the solitary koinobiont parasitoid,Venturia canescens, and two of its hosts,Plodia interpunctella andCorcyra cephalonica, were investigated.

The response of both hosts to simulated antennation using a two-haired brush was examined over instars 3 (L3) to 5 (L5). YoungP. interpunctella larvae predominantly adopted escape tactics (writhe, trash) whereas L5P. interpunctella usually froze after the stimulus was applied. L3C. cephalonica larvae were more aggressive (headrear, flick) thanP. interpunctella in response to the application of the stimulus, but olderC. cephalonica responded less aggressively than in earlier instars.

AlthoughV. canescens readily jabbed its ovipositor at both hosts after antennation,P. interpunctella was considerably more susceptible to parasitoid attack thanC. cephalonica, irrespective of size in the final (L5) instar.C. cephalonica, the larger, more aggressive host, actively resisted parasitism whereasP. interpunctella responded much more passively after parasitoid contact. Parasitoids examined and jabbed their ovipositors at dead hosts, but this behaviour was not sustained, implying that host movement stimulates parasitoid attack.

On patches containingV. canescens, L5C. cephalonica andP. interpunctella, mostP. interpunctella larvae responded by freezing after parasitoid contact.P. interpunctella that froze usually avoided parasitism, whereas larvae that attempted to escape by crawling were pursued with vigour byV. canescens and usually parasitized. Irrespective of behaviour after parasitoid contact,C. cephalonia displayed more aggressive behaviour and had much greater success in warding off parasitoid attack.

Host acceptance byV. canescens is clearly affected by the size and species of the host it attacks. The influence of host defensive behaviour is discussed in relation to the evolution of parasitoid counter-defences and oviposition strategies.

Résmé

Les intéractions, sur le plan comportemental, entre le parasitoïde solitaire koïnobionte,Venturia canescens et deux de ses hôtes,Plodia interpunctella etCorcyra cephalonica ont fait l'objet de cette étude. La réponse des deux hôtes à une exploration antennaire simulée à l'aide d'un pinceau à 2 poils différait selon qu'il s'agissait des petites larves du 3e stade ou des grosses larves du 5e stade.

En réponse à ce stimulus, les jeunes larves deP. interpunctella adoptaient principalement un comportement de fuite (en se contorsionnant ou en se débattant) alors que les larves de 3e stade deC. cephalonica se montraient plus agressives (en rejetant la tête en arrière et en donnant des coups de patte). Au stade L5, les larves deP. interpunctella s'immobilisaient après l'application du stimulus, alors que celles deC. cephalonica avaient une réponse moins agressive qu'aux stades précédents.

Alors queV. canescens enfoncait rapidement son ovipositeur dans les 2 hôtes après une exploration antennaire,P. interpunctella était nettement plus sensible à l'attaque du parasitoïde queC. cephalonica, et ce sans tenir compte de la taille du dernier stade (L5).C. cephalonica, l'hôte le plus grand et le plus agressif, résiste activement au parasitisme tandis quePlodia répond de façon beaucoup plus passive au contact du parasitoïde. Les parasitoïdes examinent les hôtes morts et y enfoncent leur ovipositeur, mais les attaques ne sont pas poursuivies et les femelles s'en désintéressent rapidement.

Sur des sites oùV. canescens est en présence de larves du 5e stade deC. cephalonica on deP. interpunctella, la plupart des larves deP. interpunctella répondaient au contact avec le parasitoïde par l'immobilité, alors que les larves deC. cephalonica adoptaient une attitude un peu plus agressive. Les larves deP. interpunctella qui s'immobilisaient échappaient habituellement au parasitisme tandis que celles qui tentaient de fuir étaient poursuivies avec vigueur par le parasitoïde et généralement parasitées. En dépit de leur comportement après le contact,C. cephalonica évitait l'attaque avec plus de succès. L'acceptation de l'hôte parV. canescens est clairement dépendante de la taille et l'espèce de l'hôte qu'il attaque. Le rôle du comportement défensif de l'hôte est discuté en relation avec l'évolution de comportement de contre-défense du parasitoïde et de ses stratégies d'oviposition.

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  1. J. A. Harvey

    Present address: Department of Entomology, Wageningen Agricultural University, P.O. Box 8031, 6700 EH, Wageningen, The Netherlands

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  1. Population Biology Research Group, Department of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of Liverpool, P. O. Box 147, L69 3BX, U. K.

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Harvey, J.A., Thompson, D.J. Host behaviour and its influence on foraging and acceptance by the solitary parasitoid wasp,Venturia canescens (Hym: Ichneumonidae) . Entomophaga 40, 193–210 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02373068

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