Among the many topics of interest to ecologists studying associations between phytophagous insects and their host plants are the influence of natal host plant on future oviposition decisions and the mechanisms of generalist versus specialist host selection behavior. In this study, we examined the oviposition preferences, behavior and larval development of the tomato/potato psyllid, Bactericera ...

Estimation of the host range of entomophagous biological control agents (parasitoids and predators) is complex. It is not always possible to inoculate all test organisms with eggs or neonates to determine “physiological suitability”. We argue that, for the host range testing of parasitoids, it is important to initially employ test procedures that will maximize the probability that the test spec...

Question: Environmental disturbance can disrupt habitat choice as an ecological barrier to hybridization between host-specific parasites that mate on their host. Is environmentindependent mate choice a sufficient barrier to prevent hybridization when ecological isolation breaks down? Hypothesis: Males and females will not discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific mating partners in th...

Eggs of the eucalyptus longhorned borer (Phoracantha semipunctata F.) are the typical host of the encyrtid egg parasitoid Avetianella longoi Siscaro. Both P. semipunctata and Phoracantha recurva Newman have become established in California, but A. longoi appears to differentially parasitize these congeners. Eggs of the two beetle species were tested for ovipositional and developmental suitabili...

Optimality models of host-parasitoid relationships have traditionally assumed that host quality increases as a function of host size at parasitism. However, trade-offs may play a crucial role in species evolution and should be found in host-parasitoid interactions where the host quality may differ between different sizes. Here, we investigated the effects of host size differences of Monochamus ...