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Regulation of Helicoverpa zea larval behavior by the parasitoid Eucelatoria bryani
Author(s) -
Reitz Stuart R.,
Nettles William C.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
entomologia experimentalis et applicata
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1570-7458
pISSN - 0013-8703
DOI - 10.1111/j.1570-7458.1994.tb01767.x
Subject(s) - helicoverpa zea , biology , parasitoid , instar , burrow , larva , pupa , host (biology) , zoology , pest analysis , botany , ecology , noctuidae
The parasitoid Eucelatoria bryani Sabrosky regulates the larval behavior of its host Helicoverpa zea (Boddie). Parasitized third, fourth and fifth instars burrow into the soil 0.7–3.4 days earlier than unparasitized larvae that normally enter the soil to pupate at the end of the fifth and final larval instar. Parasitized third instars molt once then burrow as fourth instars, one instar earlier than normal. When E. bryani pupariated on the soil surface in the field, none survived to the adult stage. However, E. bryani adults emerged from 49.2% of hosts that had burrowed into the soil. By accelerating the timing of H. zea burrowing behavior and causing host larvae to enter the soil before death, E. bryani ensures its pupariation in an environment with improved protection against natural enemies and lethal temperatures.