Effect of ambient temperature on mechanosensory host location in two parasitic wasps of different climatic origin

Kroder, Stefan; Samietz, Jörg; Dorn, Silvia

doi:10.1111/j.1365-3032.2006.00515.x

Cited by 20 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Parasitoids exposed to hosts commonly have shortened longevity, which has been attributed to the expenditure of energy in host searching or oviposition, and possible injury due to host defensive behavior (Foerster and Doetzer 2003;Browning and Oatman 1985). Various environmental conditions, especially temperature and humidity, have a significant influence on insect activity (Fadamiro and Wyatt 1995;Isard et al 1999;Kroder et al 2006). The effects of temperature or humidity on selected parasitoid activity, for example walking activity and flight, have been well studied (e.g., Shapiro and Pickering 2000;Suverkropp et al 2001;Langer et al 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Flight potential of Microplitis mediator, a parasitoid of various lepidopteran pests

Zhang

et al. 2008

BioControl

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The efficacy of using natural enemies to control pests under field conditions largely depends on their mobility and, more specifically, on their capacity to quickly locate pest infestation. For many natural enemies, for example parasitoids, mobility is directly related to flight aptitude, which is determined by the capacity and inclination of a species to engage in flight. In this study, we determined the various factors that affected flight performance of Microplitis mediator (Haliday) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), using a computer-monitored flight mill. No differences were found in flight performance (i.e., flight distance, duration, speed) between both sexes of M. mediator, and flight capacity increased up to an age of 5-7 days followed by a gradual decline afterwards. For one-day-old female parasitoids, mean (±SE) flight distance and duration were 6.23 ± 0.88 km and 85.15 ± 14.44 min, respectively, with a maximum flight distance of 18.0 km. For male parasitoids, mean flight distance and duration were 5.27 ± 0.51 km and 85.74 ± 7.63 min, respectively. Mating status did not affect flight performance of males, while flight distance of four-day-old ovipositing M. mediator females was much lower than that of un-mated females of the same age. Un-mated adults flew most actively at 22-24°C and inclination to fly gradually declined with decreasing temperature. Temperatures above 26°C considerably reduced flight activity of M. mediator. Wasps engaged in normal flight under a broad range of relative humidity (RH) conditions, with an optimum RH range identified as 75-90%. Our research shows that M. mediator is a highly active parasitoid, because both sexes show great inclination to fly under a range of environmental conditions and flight capacity at different ages. Our results can help explain parasitoid performance in the field and provide baseline information to help guide augmentative releases.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Flight potential of Microplitis mediator, a parasitoid of various lepidopteran pests

Zhang

et al. 2008

BioControl

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Various environmental conditions have a signiÞcant inßuence on insect activity (Kroder et al 2006). The results showed great variability in ßight capacity of S. mosellana at different temperatures and light intensities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flight Performance of the Orange Wheat Blossom Midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

Hao¹,

Jin²,

Wu³

et al. 2013

jnl. econ. entom.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The orange wheat blossom midge, Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is a chronic wheat pest worldwide. Adult S. mosellana engage in short-distance flight, but also exploit weather patterns for long-distance dispersal. However, little is known about the flight performance of S. mosellana, and the effects of the biotic and abiotic factors that influence its flight activity. In this study, we explored the active flight potential of S. mosellana under various environmental factors using a 26-channel computer-monitored flight mill system. The most suitable temperature for flight and flight distance was 16-24 degrees C; flight duration peaked at 16 degrees C while speed peaked at 28 degrees C. Flight performance gradually declined between 10 and 400 lux light intensity. More than 50% individuals of 1-d-old females flew > 500 m, while only 24% of males flew > 500 m. One-day-old S. mosellana had stronger flight ability than that of 2-d-old individuals. This research showed that S. mosellana possessed strong enough flight ability that they can fly to a high altitude and then disperse via moving air currents. These results can aid in forecasting S. mosellana outbreak.

show abstract

“…This experimental set-up is comparable to a tritropic system with hidden host pupa and has been successfully used in a number of studies on visual and vibrational host location in this insect (e.g. Fischer et al 2004a;Kroder et al 2006;Samietz et al 2006).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature affects interaction of visual and vibrational cues in parasitoid host location

2006

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Parasitoid host location in nature is facilitated by simultaneously using different information sources. How multisensory orientation on the same spatial scale is influenced by environmental conditions is however poorly understood. Here we test whether changes in reliability of cues can cause parasitoids to alter multisensory orientation and to switch to cues that are more reliable under extreme temperatures. In the ichneumonid wasp Pimpla turionellae, multisensory use of thermally insensitive vision and thermally sensitive mechanosensory host location by vibrational sounding (echolocation on solid substrate) was investigated with choice experiments on plant-stem models under optimum temperature (18 degrees C), at high- (28 degrees C) and low-temperature limits (8 degrees C) of vibrational sounding. Temperature affected relative importance of vibrational sounding whereas visual orientation did not vary. At 18 degrees C, parasitoids used visual and vibrational cues with comparable relative importance. At 8 and 28 degrees C, the role of vibrational sounding in multisensory orientation was significantly reduced in line with decreased reliability. Wasps nearly exclusively chose visual cues at 8 degrees C. The parasitoids switch between cues and sensory systems depending on temperature. As overall precision of ovipositor insertions was not affected by temperature, the parasitoids fully compensate the loss of one cue provided another reliable cue is available on the same spatial scale.

show abstract

Effect of ambient temperature on mechanosensory host location in two parasitic wasps of different climatic origin

Cited by 20 publications

References 33 publications

Flight potential of Microplitis mediator, a parasitoid of various lepidopteran pests

Flight potential of Microplitis mediator, a parasitoid of various lepidopteran pests

Flight Performance of the Orange Wheat Blossom Midge (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)

Temperature affects interaction of visual and vibrational cues in parasitoid host location

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About