Parasites can negatively affect hosts at individual, population, and species-level scales. However, the link between individual- population-level impacts is often poorly understood. In particular, response to parasitism may alter wider ecosystem dynamics if animals with engineering capabilities are infected. Here, we examine effects of on a freshwater engineer, unionid mussel Anodonta anatina, ...

Despite growing interest in ecological consequences of parasitism in food webs, relatively little is known about effects of parasites on long-term population dynamics of non-host species or about whether such effects are density or trait mediated. We studied a tri-trophic food chain comprised of (i) a bacterial basal resource (Serratia fonticola), (ii) an intermediate consumer (Paramecium cauda...

Levels of parasitism are continuously distributed in nature. Models of host-parasite coevolution, however, typically assume that species can be easily characterized as either parasitic or non-parasitic. Consequently, it is poorly understood which factors influence the evolution of parasitism itself. We investigate how ploidy level and the genetic mechanisms underlying infection influence evolut...

The effects of two neem insecticide formulations (an oil-free powder formulation and an oil formulation) on field parasitism of diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), larvae and, on the longevity and foraging behaviour of Diadegma mollipla (Holmgren), were evaluated in field and laboratory tests. Overall, larval parasitism in plots sprayed with the oil-free neem formulation was not signifi...

Biological control on crop infesting insects represent an useful method in modem agriculture. A search for parasitoids of the macadamia nutborer was carried out during a three year study, and their effect on the population fluctuation of the borer was determined. An egg parasitoid belonging to the family Trichogrammatidae and four larval parasitoids, Microgastrine I, Microgastrine II, Ascogaste...

The advent of parasite genome sequencing projects, as well as an increase in biology-directed gene discovery, promises to reveal genes encoding many of the key molecules required for nematode-host interactions. However, distinguishing parasitism genes from those merely required for nematode viability remains a substantial challenge. Although this will ultimately require a functional test in the...

the sunn pest, eurygaster integriceps puton, is a serious pest of wheat in coraim region of ardabil province. in this study, the egg parasitoids of sunn pest was collected and identified in this region during 2007 and 2008. also, the percentage of egg parasitism was determined in 14 different defined areas in this region. the areas 1-3 were selected in irrigated wheat fields in the presence of ...

Brood parasites are expected to lay only one egg per parasitized nest, as the existence of several parasitic nestlings in a brood increases competition and can lead starvation some them. However, multiparasitism (laying two or more eggs by females single host nest) is surprisingly frequent. Here, we study different same female (repeated parasitism) great spotted cuckoo Clamator glandarius, non-...

By combining pesticide exclusion and cage exclusion techniques, the efficacy of natural enemies in reducing populations of Spodoptera exigua (Hübner), the beet armyworm, larvae was effectively demonstrated. Larval collections added information about parasitism and disease, and when combined with data from insecticide treatments, demonstrated that differences in S. exigua population densities us...