Females infected with parthenogenesis‐inducing Wolbachia bacteria can be cured from their infection by antibiotic treatment, resulting in male production. In most cases, however, these males are either sexually not fully functional, or infected females have lost the ability to reproduce sexually. We studied the decay of sexual function in males and females of the parasitoid Leptopilina clavipes. In western Europe, infected and uninfected populations occur allopatrically, allowing for an investigation of both male and female sexual function. This was made by comparing females and males induced from different parthenogenetic populations with those from naturally occurring uninfected populations. Our results indicate that although males show a decay of sexual function, they are still able to fertilize uninfected females. Infected females, however, do not fertilize their eggs after mating with males from uninfected populations. The absence of genomic incompatibilities suggests that these effects are due to the difference in mode of reproduction.

Chemical stimuli play an important role in the process of searching for a host habitat by parasitic wasps. Volatile compounds originating from host habitats and/or hosts are the cues that enable such a location.Leptopilina heterotoma, a larval parasite ofDrosophila, is attracted to the food of its host, baker's yeast. Analysis of the fermentation products of baker's yeast, using a mass spectrometer, and olfactometer studies indicate that three fermentation products of this yeast, the main component of the host habitat in our laboratory, attractL. heterotoma: ethanol (5%), ethyl acetate (10(-2), 10(-3)%), and acetaldehyde (1%). A combination of these three compounds, however, cannot compete with baker's yeast in attracting the parasites. Thus other factors, such as different compounds, concentrations, and/or combinations, also, play a role and remain to be tested.Leptopilina heterotoma does not use host-related olfactory cues in long-distance habitat location as it cannot distinguish between host habitat and host habitat with hosts.

A chemical cue (kairomone) of the host, larvae ofDrosophila, was found to influence patch-time allocation of the parasiteLeptopilina heterotoma. This kairomone is soluble in water and chloroform. The kairomone was purified using thin-layer chromatography. The concentration of the kairomone increases with an increasing number of hosts. The parasites may use presence and concentration of the kairomone as cues to determine patch-time allocation.