Comparing different floral resources on the longevity of a parasitic wasp

1 The effects of floral resources of several important non-crop host plants of Lygus lineolaris on the longevity of Anaphes iole , one of its natural enemies, was studied. 2 Median longevity of A. iole wasps provisioned with floral resources ( Erigeron annuus , Oenothera speciosa , Lamium amplexicaule , and Capsella bursapastoris ) was in the range 1.27 – 3.24 days, and did not differ from wasps in the distilled water only control (1.46 – 2.81 days), but was less than median longevity of wasps provisioned with distilled water + sucrose (5.30 – 12.46 days). No difference in longevity was observed between gender, although females usually lived slightly longer than males. 3 High-performance anion-exchange chromatography analyses of O. speciosa floral nectar revealed that the major carbohydrate components were sucrose, glucose, and fructose. 4 The results indicate that the floral resources of some non-crop plants that serve as important reproductive hosts for L. lineolaris offer little or no benefit to A. iole .