Premium
Host selection and sex ratio in a heteronomous hyperparasitoid
Author(s) -
WILLIAMS TREVOR
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
ecological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.865
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2311
pISSN - 0307-6946
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1991.tb00230.x
Subject(s) - biology , homoptera , host (biology) , pupa , sex ratio , zoology , preference , hymenoptera , ecology , botany , larva , pest analysis , demography , statistics , population , sociology , mathematics
.1 Encarsia tricolor Förster is a heteronomous hyperparasitoid: females develop as primary endoparasitoids of Homoptera, whereas males develop hyperparasitically in primary endoparasitoids, including conspecific females. 2 When offered pupae of Encarsia inaron (Walker) or conspecific pupae, E.tricolor showed a distinct preference to exploit E.inaron for male production. 3 Parasitoids were given the opportunity to gain different types of ovipositional experience on male and female hosts and were then offered patches containing mixtures of male and female hosts in various ratios. The mean sex ratio which they laid was not dependent on the relative availability of each type of host, whereas prior ovipositional experience had a significant effect. 4 Adaptive reasons for the observed oviposition strategies are suggested.