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Effects of Asobara japonica venom on larval survival of host and nonhost Drosophila species
Author(s) -
FURIHATA SHUNSUKE X.,
KIMURA MASAHITO T.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3032.2009.00676.x
Subject(s) - biology , parasitoid , larva , ovipositor , venom , host (biology) , drosophila (subgenus) , zoology , botany , toxicology , ecology , hymenoptera , genetics , gene
Ovipositing Asobara japonica females inject venom (containing paralysis‐inducing factors) immediately after the insertion of their ovipositors into Drosophila larvae, and lay eggs a little later. Interruption of their oviposition behaviour before egg laying causes high larval mortality in host Drosophila species, whereas normal oviposition does not. This suggests that venom of this parasitoid is toxic to larvae of these host species but its toxicity is suppressed by factor(s) provided by parasitoid females at the time of laying egg or by parasitoid embryos developing in the hosts. On the other hand, venom does not show toxicity to larvae of nonhost Drosophia species. Possible functions of venom are discussed.