Oviposition behavior of Anagrus nigriventris, an egg parasitoid of beet leafhopper, Circulifer tenellus

A. K. Al-Wahaibi*, G. P. Walker

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Oviposition behavior of Anagrus nigriventris, a parasitoid of the eggs of the beet leafhopper, Circulifer tenellus, was described on sugar beet. Ovipositor probes of relatively long duration were accompanied by a period of abdominal vibrations toward the end of the probe. These periods began as high frequency, low amplitude vibrations in the abdomen, and climaxed as a trembling of the whole body in an up and down direction. Oviposition by the parasitoid was associated with the occurrence of abdominal vibrations during a probe and with probe durations ≥50 s; however the presence/absence of abdominal vibrations during a probe was considered a more reliable indicator of oviposition than was a threshold probe duration of 50 s. The majority of probes (63% of all probes) were in empty plant tissue, lasted 15 s, and were not associated with abdominal vibrations. While probes without abdominal vibrations at host egg sites (14% of all probes) lasted an average of 48 s, probes with abdominal vibrations at host egg sites (23% of all probes) lasted an average of 102 s, and all were ≥50 s. It is hypothesized that the relative frequency of the 3 types of probes could be affected by the degree of wasp experience, by the level of host cues on the substrate, and by the relative importance of ovipositor probing (vs. antennation) in the host detection process. Data from the study suggest that A. nigriventris is able to discriminate against previously attacked host eggs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)139-153
Number of pages15
JournalBioControl
Volume45
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2000
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Behavioral ecology
  • Biological control
  • Host age
  • Host cues
  • Host location
  • Insect learning
  • Parasitism
  • Probing behavior
  • Searching behavior
  • Superparasitism

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Insect Science

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