Parasitic Insects

Trail odors: recognition by insects parasitic on cocoons.

Female parasitic insects in the genera Pleolophus, Endasys, and Mastrus (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) search the ground cover for hosts and avoid areas they have already inspected. Females respond to their own trail odor, and recognition occurs also between conspecific, congeneric, and intergeneric individuals. This is the first direct evidence for recognition between parasitoids at sites other ...

Plant systemic induced responses mediate interactions between root parasitic nematodes and aboveground herbivorous insects

Insects and nematodes are the most diverse and abundant groups of multicellular animals feeding on plants on either side of the soil-air interface. Several herbivore-induced responses are systemic, and hence can influence the preference and performance of organisms in other plant organs. Recent studies show that plants mediate interactions between belowground plant parasitic nematodes (PPNs) an...

Host-Parasite Interactions from the Inside: Plant Reproductive Ontogeny Drives Specialization in Parasitic Insects

Host plant interactions are likely key drivers of evolutionary processes involved in the diversification of phytophagous insects. Granivory has received substantial attention for its crucial role in shaping the interaction between plants and their seed parasites, but fine-scale mechanisms explaining the role of host plant reproductive biology on specialization of seed parasites remain poorly de...

Spatial and Temporal Complexities of Reproductive Behavior and Sex Ratios: A Case from Parasitic Insects

BACKGROUND Sex ratios are important empirical data in predicting sex allocation strategy and selection in populations. Therefore, they should be sampled at crucial developmental steps before and after parental investment. In parasites with free-living (off-host) developmental stages the timing and method of sampling is not trivial, because ecological niches are frequently poorly known. Conseque...

Laboratory tests showing the effect of DDT on several important parasitic insects.