Offspring production and self-superparasitism in the solitary ectoparasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in relation to host abundance

Parasitoid fitness strongly depends on the availability and quality of hosts, which provide all resources required for larval development. Several factors, such as host size and previous parasitation, may affect host quality. Because self-superparasitism induces competition among a female's offs...

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Autores principales: Böckmann, Elias A., Tormos, José, Beitia, Francisco J., Fischer, K.
Formato: article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2017
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/4887
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author Böckmann, Elias A.
Tormos, José
Beitia, Francisco J.
Fischer, K.
author_browse Beitia, Francisco J.
Böckmann, Elias A.
Fischer, K.
Tormos, José
author_facet Böckmann, Elias A.
Tormos, José
Beitia, Francisco J.
Fischer, K.
author_sort Böckmann, Elias A.
collection ReDivia
description Parasitoid fitness strongly depends on the availability and quality of hosts, which provide all resources required for larval development. Several factors, such as host size and previous parasitation, may affect host quality. Because self-superparasitism induces competition among a female's offspring, it should only occur if there is an imperfect recognition of self-parasitized hosts or if there is a fitness advantage to self-superparasitism. Against this background, we investigated self-superparasitism and offspring production in Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in relation to the abundance of a novel host, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae). Individual pairs of parasitoids were provided with either two (low host abundance) or ten (high host abundance) pupae per day. Under high host abundance, lifetime fecundity (number of eggs laid), offspring number, number of pupae parasitized and hosts killed were greater than under low host abundance, whereas the number of eggs per host was lower; and the proportion of hosts that did not produce offspring tended to be lower. The latter suggests the occurrence of ovicide, when hosts are scarce due to an at least imperfect recognition of previously self-parasitized hosts. Offspring production per parasitized pupa was higher when hosts were scarce and levels of self-superparasitism high, suggesting the existence of beneficial effects of self-superparasitism.
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spelling ReDivia48872025-04-25T14:44:51Z Offspring production and self-superparasitism in the solitary ectoparasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in relation to host abundance Böckmann, Elias A. Tormos, José Beitia, Francisco J. Fischer, K. Parasitoid fitness strongly depends on the availability and quality of hosts, which provide all resources required for larval development. Several factors, such as host size and previous parasitation, may affect host quality. Because self-superparasitism induces competition among a female's offspring, it should only occur if there is an imperfect recognition of self-parasitized hosts or if there is a fitness advantage to self-superparasitism. Against this background, we investigated self-superparasitism and offspring production in Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in relation to the abundance of a novel host, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae). Individual pairs of parasitoids were provided with either two (low host abundance) or ten (high host abundance) pupae per day. Under high host abundance, lifetime fecundity (number of eggs laid), offspring number, number of pupae parasitized and hosts killed were greater than under low host abundance, whereas the number of eggs per host was lower; and the proportion of hosts that did not produce offspring tended to be lower. The latter suggests the occurrence of ovicide, when hosts are scarce due to an at least imperfect recognition of previously self-parasitized hosts. Offspring production per parasitized pupa was higher when hosts were scarce and levels of self-superparasitism high, suggesting the existence of beneficial effects of self-superparasitism. 2017-06-01T10:11:16Z 2017-06-01T10:11:16Z 2012 APR 2012 article Boeckmann, E.A., Tormos, J., Beitia, F., Fischer, K. (2012). Offspring production and self-superparasitism in the solitary ectoparasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), in relation to host abundance. Bulletin of entomological research, 102(2), 131-137. 0007-4853 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/4887 10.1017/S0007485311000447 en openAccess Impreso
spellingShingle Böckmann, Elias A.
Tormos, José
Beitia, Francisco J.
Fischer, K.
Offspring production and self-superparasitism in the solitary ectoparasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in relation to host abundance
title Offspring production and self-superparasitism in the solitary ectoparasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in relation to host abundance
title_full Offspring production and self-superparasitism in the solitary ectoparasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in relation to host abundance
title_fullStr Offspring production and self-superparasitism in the solitary ectoparasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in relation to host abundance
title_full_unstemmed Offspring production and self-superparasitism in the solitary ectoparasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in relation to host abundance
title_short Offspring production and self-superparasitism in the solitary ectoparasitoid Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in relation to host abundance
title_sort offspring production and self superparasitism in the solitary ectoparasitoid spalangia cameroni hymenoptera pteromalidae in relation to host abundance
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/4887
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