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Courtship sequence and evidence of volatile pheromones in Phasgonophora sulcata (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae), a North American parasitoid of the invasive Agrilus planipennis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2015

Lucas E. Roscoe*
Affiliation:
Forest Protection Limited, c/o Natural Resources Canada, Atlantic Forestry Centre, P.O. Box 4000, 1350 Regent Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada E3B 5P7
D. Barry Lyons
Affiliation:
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada P6A 2E5
Krista L. Ryall
Affiliation:
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada P6A 2E5
Sandy M. Smith
Affiliation:
Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, 33 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B3
*
1 Corresponding author (e-mail: l.roscoe@mail.utoronto.ca).

Abstract

Phasgonophora sulcata Westwood (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) is a North American parasitoid now using Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) as a novel host, and may prove useful in biocontrol. Unfortunately, information is lacking regarding mating and the presence of pheromones, which may be important when attempting to exploit this parasitoid within a management context. Herein we used olfactometer assays and behavioural observations to determine the courtship and mating sequences of P. sulcata. A significantly higher proportion of males oriented towards females over the control arm containing filtered air in an olfactometer regardless of the age classes of females or males examined. We also observed four pre-copulatory behaviours that were consistent in all mating pairs. Our results indicate that courtship may be mediated by male perception of female-produced pheromones. Understanding the courtship sequence may be useful in rearing laboratory populations, while the putative pheromones may be useful in detection and retention of P. sulcata populations.

Type
Behaviour & Ecology
Copyright
© Entomological Society of Canada 2015 

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Footnotes

Subject editor: Deepa Pureswaran

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