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RESPONSE OF THREE CHELONUS (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE) SPECIES TO KAIROMONES IN SCALES OF SIX LEPIDOPTERA1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

A.A. Chiri  and
E.F. Legner
A.A. Chiri
Affiliation:
Division of Biological Control, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
E.F. Legner
Affiliation:
Division of Biological Control, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
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Abstract

Three species of egg–larval parasites in the genus Chelonus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) exhibited host-searching behavior when exposed to body scales from 6 species of Lepidoptera representing 3 families. The nonspecific response to scales from several hosts appears to be of adaptive value to Chelonus spp., as it is consistent with the polyphagous habits reported for this genus. The searching response was more widespread and intense in an Ethiopian Chelonus sp. than in 2 other species. It is thought that the broad responsiveness to host scales may detrimentally affect parasite searching ability through excessive loss of searching time, although sensory adaptation to the kairomones might serve to attenuate such effect. Some coevolutionary aspects of this host–parasite chemical interaction are discussed.

Résumé

Trois espèces de parasites d’oeufs–larves appartenant au genre Chelonus (Hymenoptera : Braconidae) ont manifesté le comportement typique de recherche de l’hôte en présence d’écailles provenant d’individus de 6 espèces de lépidoptères représentant 3 familles. La réaction non-spécifique aux écailles de plusieurs hôtes semble adaptative pour ces espèces de Chelonus, puisqu’elle est en accord avec les habitudes polyphages rapportées pour ce genre. La réponse de recherche était plus fréquente et plus intense chez 1 espèce éthiopienne de Chelonus que chez 2 autres espèces. On croit que la sensibilité élevée à la présence d’écaillés d’hôtes pourrait réduire l’efficacité de recherche du parsite dû à la perte de temps passé en recherche inutile, bien que l’adaptation sensorielle aux kairomones pourrait atténuer cet effet. La discussion porte sur certains aspects coévolutifs de cette interation hôte–parasite de nature chimique.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 118 , Issue 4 , April 1986 , pp. 329 - 333
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1986

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