Host characteristics related to host use by the flesh fly, Blaesoxipha japonensis (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), a parasitoid of adult grasshoppers

Abstract

We periodically collected adult grasshoppers of Parapodisma tanbaensis and P. subastris, in Kyoto, Japan, from 2001 to 2002, to determine which host characteristics were related to host use by the flesh fly, Blaesoxipha japonensis. The results indicated three host characteristics that were significantly related to the parasitism rate: host species, condition of the hind legs, and interaction between sex and body size. P. tanbaensis was parasitized more often than P. subastris because of its superior intrinsic quality. Grasshoppers missing one or both hind legs were parasitized more often than intact individuals. Female grasshoppers are twice the size of males, and smaller females were parasitized more often than larger ones, whereas larger males were parasitized more often than smaller ones. Host characteristics related to the number of larvae egressing from the host were similar to those of the parasitism rates, except for the interaction between sex and size. In addition, host sex was also an important characteristic, as more larvae egressed from female hosts.

Population persistence of the parasitoid fly Zaira cinerea (Fallén) (Diptera: Tachinidae) utilizing multiple host carabid beetles with different seasonality and quality

“…Miura and Ohsaki (2007) reported that host quality (expressed as the number of the last instar fly larvae emerging from a host) differed between sexes (more larvae emerged from female hosts than from male hosts) for a parasitoid fly ( Blaesoxipha japonensis (Hori)) that attacks Parapodisma spp. (grasshoppers).…”

“…However, because information on the existence of the sexual pheromones was lacking for the studied carabids, it is unclear whether female flies are unable to use host sexual volatiles, or whether these host beetles do not have sexual volatiles. Miura and Ohsaki (2007) reported that host quality (expressed as the number of the last instar fly larvae emerging from a host) differed between sexes (more larvae emerged from female hosts than from male hosts) for a parasitoid fly (Blaesoxipha japonensis (Hori)) that attacks Parapodisma spp. (grasshoppers).…”

“…As a result, parasitism frequencies sometimes differ between host species and between host sexes. Host quality may also differ by species and sex (Miura 2003; Miura & Ohsaki 2007). The quality of a host species is reflected in the number of the parasitoid puparia in an infected individual.…”

Patterns in the autotomized adults of two sympatric, closely related grasshopper species in their natural habitat

“…Miura and Ohsaki (2015) suggested that the mortality caused by the emergence of the parasitoid fly Blaesoxipha japonensis (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) from adult P. subastris grasshoppers could be one of the costs of autotomy because P. subastris adults lacking a hind leg are more frequently killed by the emergence of this parasitoid fly than intact adults. In contrast to P. subastris, P. tanbaensis adults lacking a hind leg(s) and intact adults did not differ in the mortality caused by the emergence of B. japonensis (Miura and Ohsaki 2015), although the distribution of these two Parapodisma species is sympatric in the Kinki District (Miyatake and Kanoˆ1992;Miura 2003;Miura and Ohsaki 2007). However, it remains unknown what traits and/or factors may be re-lated to the frequency of hind leg loss in these Parapodisma adults in the wild.…”

“…Not only food plants and abiotic conditions, but also natural enemies, could differ among the microhabitats. As indicated by the difference in adult mortality caused by B. japonensis between P. subastris and P. tanbaensis (Miura and Ohsaki 2007), the fate of autotomized individuals could differ between these Parapodisma species (Miura and Ohsaki 2015).…”