TY - JOUR
T1 - Analyses of two parasitoids with convergent foraging strategies
AU - De Moraes, Consuelo M.
AU - Lewis, W. J.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank M. C. Mescher, J. W. Ruberson, R. W. Matthews, and P. Barbosa for comments on the manuscript. We are grateful to Thoris Green for rearing the parasitoids. Financial support was provided in part by a CAPES grant from the Brazilian Minister of Education to C. M. De Moraes.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - We compared the foraging strategies of two key braconid endoparasitoids of the tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens Fab.), Cardiochiles nigriceps Vier. and Microplitis croceipes Cresson, that differ in host and habitat range but otherwise share comparable, overlapping niches. The most important host-location cues by far for both species were materials associated with damaged plants. Both species demonstrated a significant preference for volatiles released from plants damaged by H. virescens larvae over those released from undamaged tobacco and cotton plants. In choice experiments with damaged tobacco versus cotton, M. croceipes showed a significant preference for cotton plants. In contrast, C. nigriceps preferred damaged tobacco plants. Plant compounds provoked a strong response even when released from systemically induced plants (from which damaged leaves, host, and host by-products were removed). C. nigriceps appears to have a much keener ability to locate hosts over long distances than M. croceipes. This observation may be related to the highly specialized nature of this parasitoid. The possible adaptive significance of the foraging behaviors of these two parasitoids is discussed.
AB - We compared the foraging strategies of two key braconid endoparasitoids of the tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens Fab.), Cardiochiles nigriceps Vier. and Microplitis croceipes Cresson, that differ in host and habitat range but otherwise share comparable, overlapping niches. The most important host-location cues by far for both species were materials associated with damaged plants. Both species demonstrated a significant preference for volatiles released from plants damaged by H. virescens larvae over those released from undamaged tobacco and cotton plants. In choice experiments with damaged tobacco versus cotton, M. croceipes showed a significant preference for cotton plants. In contrast, C. nigriceps preferred damaged tobacco plants. Plant compounds provoked a strong response even when released from systemically induced plants (from which damaged leaves, host, and host by-products were removed). C. nigriceps appears to have a much keener ability to locate hosts over long distances than M. croceipes. This observation may be related to the highly specialized nature of this parasitoid. The possible adaptive significance of the foraging behaviors of these two parasitoids is discussed.
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U2 - 10.1023/A:1020967417801
DO - 10.1023/A:1020967417801
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0033504910
VL - 12
SP - 571
EP - 583
JO - Journal of Insect Behavior
JF - Journal of Insect Behavior
SN - 0892-7553
IS - 5
ER -