Development of the gregarious ectoparasitoid Nasonia vitripennis using five species of necrophagous flies as hosts and at various developmental temperatures

Abstract

The utility of five species of necrophagous flies (Diptera) as pupal hosts for Nasonia vitripennis (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) was examined by comparing incidences of parasitism, fecundity, and several features of wasp development at three rearing temperatures. Species differences in host suitability were evident in all life history features examined, with the highest incidences of parasitism, largest clutches and adult body sizes, and shortest periods of development occurring when the sarcophagid Sarcophaga bullata Parker served as hosts, regardless of temperature in which the wasps developed. Puparia of the calliphorids Lucilia illustris Meigen, Phormia regina Meigen, and Protophormia terraenovae Robineau‐Desvoidy were also accepted as hosts by the female parasitoids, albeit not equally so, and each yielded large, female‐biased broods. By contrast, pupae of the calliphorid Chrysomya rufifacies (Macquart) were not well suited to serve as an oviposition site or support the development of N. vitripennis. When successful parasitism did occur on any host species, duration of parasitoid development increased, adult body sizes were truncated, male‐biased sex ratios were produced, and mortality from egg hatch to adult emergence elevated with increasing rearing temperature. Unlike with the four other fly species, C. rufifacies did not yield any adult parasitoids when the rearing temperature was 35 °C. The results argue that developmental data determined for this wasp derived from a single host species is not sufficient for applying to all scenarios in which wasp development is necessary to estimate a postmortem interval or periods of insect activity.

Effect of temperature on the reproductive biology ofPeristenus spretus(Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a biological control agent of the plant bugApolygus lucorum(Hemiptera: Miridae)

“…But for P. digoneutis, no positive relationship was found A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t between longevity and female body size, nor any between lifetime fecundity and female body size (Haye et al, 2005). Moreover, host suitability (Rivers & Losinger, 2014) and temperature (Bazzocchi, Lanzoni, Burgio & Fiacconi, 2003) significantly affected female body size, and temperature showed an inverse relationship with body size (Bürgi & Mills, 2013). Our study found that hind tibia length of female P. spretus offspring decreased significantly with increasing rearing temperature from 15 to 27 °C, with no significant difference between 15 and 19 °C.…”

Parasitic Hymenoptera as Forensic Indicator Species

“…More significant than size or period of activity on carrion is that the life history characteristics of most parasitoids, other than the pteromalid Nasonia vitripennis (Walker), that frequent carrion have not been examined or only limited aspects of the biology and behavior of a few species are known [26,27]. For example, developmental thresholds and temperatureinfluenced developmental data have been worked out for only two parasitoids, N. vitripennis and Tachinaephagus zealandicus Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) [28][29][30][31]. Even less is known about seasonal occurrences of parasitoids, with the most extensive work being conducted on N. vitripennis and to a much lesser extent with T. zealandicus and Alysia manducator (Panzer) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) [29,[31][32][33][34], and the parasitoid fauna of most biogeographical regions has never been examined [35][36][37].…”

A safe, free and efficient way to control Nasonia vitripennis, a common pest in forensic entomology laboratories

“…These insects are parasitoids of necrophagous blowfly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and fleshfly (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) pupae [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Adult wasps have a well-developed sense of smell, and females can locate blowfly pupae hidden in the soil or under shelters [3].…”

“…The wasps lay eggs inside the puparium, and the larvae develop by feeding on the living fly nympha. After several days, 10-40 young adult wasps emerge from the puparium, ready to start a new generation [1,2,7]. In forensic entomology laboratories, they are usually introduced with contaminated puparia sampled in the field, but direct contamination by adult wasps is also frequent.…”