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Effects of pre‐adult and adult experience on host acceptance in choice and non‐choice tests in two strains of Trichogramma
Author(s) -
Bjorksten Tracey A.,
Hoffmann Ary A.
Publication year - 1995
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.1570-7458.1995.tb01945.x
Subject(s) - biology , trichogrammatidae , host (biology) , parasitoid , trichogramma , zoology , hymenoptera , noctuidae , preference , lepidoptera genitalia , ecology , statistics , mathematics
The effect of adult learning through an oviposition experience, and pre‐adult learning through development inside a host was investigated in two strains of an Australian egg parasitoid, Trichogramma nr ivelae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Host response was measured in two types of laboratory preference tests. In single host tests, females reared on three lepidopteran hosts ( Heliothis punctigera (Noctuidae), Papilio aegeus (Papilionidae), and Hypolimnas bolina (Nymphalinae)) were presented host eggs individually, and allowed two ovipositions. Pre‐adult experience affected host preference in only one strain, while acceptance of a host was increased in both strains when they had previously oviposited in this host species. An oviposition experience had a stronger effect on host preference than pre‐adult experience. In choice tests, pairwise combinations of hosts were arranged in an alternating grid. The ratio of host acceptances to host contacts was computed for the whole test and up to the first oviposition. These indicated that effects of rearing host were weak or absent, but the host chosen initially had a strong effect on host preference. Relative size of the hosts had a strong effect on choice of the first host. The implications of learning in Trichogramma are discussed in relation to host preference testing procedures and the selection of candidate strains for mass rearing and inundative release.