Eggs of three strains of the cynipid parasitoid Leptopilina heterotoma and a Tunisian strain (G317) of L. boulardi are not encapsulated by hemocytes of Drosophila melanogaster hosts, but the eggs of a Congolese strain (L104) of L. boulardi are encapsulated. To determine the reason for the difference in host response against the parasitoid eggs, lamellocytes (hemocytes that encapsulate foreign o...

Insects in the pupal stage are vulnerable to various predators because pupa is immobile. The pupas of parasitoid ichneumonid wasps (Ichneumonidae) associated with spider hosts have evolved two lines defense against predators, namely a cocoon spun by larva and web provided host. derived from normal or modified built under manipulation penultimate instar wasp. In laboratory experiments, we tested...

Fopius ceratitivorus Wharton is the most recently imported parasitoid for biological control of tephritid fruit flies in Hawaii. In this paper we summarize current progress on studies of this parasitoid under quarantine conditions in Hawaii. Tests on its potential target host range reveal that F. ceratitivorus attacks and completes its development only in the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis ...

plant quality in herbivores’ diet may affect the performance of both herbivore and its parasitoids. in the present research, parasitism capacity of diadegma semiclausum (hellen) on plutella xylostella (l.) reared on different genetically manipulated brassica plants including the canola’s progenitor (brassica rapa l.), two cultivated canola cultivars (cultivar-opera and cultivar-rgs003), one hyb...

What is Nasonia? A small (2–3 mm) parasitoid wasp that oviposits in the pupae of flies (but not those of Drosophila!). This hymenopteran occurs naturally in bird nests and at carcasses. Three species are known: the cosmopolitan N. vitripennis and two endemic North American species, N. giraulti and N. longicornis. Nasonia is extremely easy to culture on commercially available host pupae, it has ...

Plant derived volatiles are cues used widely that guide the behavior of plant associated insects, influencing both ability insects to locate host plants, as well tritrophic interactions with predators or parasitoids. Therefore, an understanding how impact a specific ecological system may aid development plants less attractive pests more amenable biocontrol. Because each plant-insect interaction...

Immune defense is energetically costly, and thus an effective response requires metabolic adaptation of the organism to reallocate energy from storage, growth, and development towards the immune system. We employ the natural infection of Drosophila with a parasitoid wasp to study energy regulation during immune response. To combat the invasion, the host must produce specialized immune cells (la...