Abstract
Variation in handling-time is studied in the association betweenTrichogramma maidis Pintureau & Vœgelé [Hym.: Trichogrammatidae] and one of its factitious hosts: the eggs of the Mediterranean flour mothEphestia kuehniella Zeller [Lep.: Pyralidae]. It is shown that the duration of egg laying behaviour decreases exponentially from the first host egg encountered onwards. This decreasing kinetic, which corresponds to a learning ability, shows a high variability between females, but a mother-daughter regression analysis fails to demonstrate any genetic transmissibility of this learning ability over 2 successive generations. Once the learning is over, there remains a residual variability which is, in part, under genetic control. The possible consequences of these results on the stability of host-parasite associations are discussed.
Résumé
Une analyse de différentes sources de variation de la durée du comportement de ponte deTrichogramma maidis [Hym.: Trichogrammatidae] sur un de ses hôtes de substitution: les œufs de la pyrale de la farineEphestia kuehniella [Lep.: Pyralidae] est abordée ici.
L'approche expérimentale, fondée sur le chronométrage de différentes phases du comportement étudié, a pu mettre en évidence, grâce à l'utilisation de procédures statistiques multivariées, l'existence d'une capacité d'apprentissage des femelles de Trichogrammes inexpérimentées (femelles n'ayant jamais rencontré d'œufs hôtes avant l'expérimentation). Cet apprentissage se traduit par une diminution exponentielle du temps moyen de ponte entre les premiers hôtes infestés et les suivants. La cinétique d'apprentissage obtenue présente elle-même une variabilité individuelle qui ne semble pas s'expliquer par un déterminisme génétique.
Une fois cet apprentissage terminé, il reste une variabilité résiduelle de la durée moyenne de la ponte. Une analyse par régression mères/filles a pu montrer que celle-ci reposait, pour partie, sur un déterminisme génétique.
Les conséquences possibles de ces résultats sur le fonctionnement des associations parasitaires sont discutées.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Alphen, J. J. M. Van, Dijken, M. J. Van &Waage, J. K. — 1987. A functional approach to superparasitism: Host discrimination needs not be learnt. —Neth. J. Zool., 32, 167–179.
Alphen, J. J. M. Van & Vet, L. E. M. — 1986. An evolutionary approach to host finding and selection. In: Insect Parasitoids (J. Waage & D. Greathead, eds.). —Academic Press, 23–61.
Boller, E. — 1972. Behavioural aspects of mass-rearing of insects. —Entomophaga, 17, 9–25.
Boulétreau, M. — 1986. The genetic and coevolutionary interactions between parasitoids and their hosts. In: Insect Parasitoids (J. Waage & D. Greathead, eds.). —Academic Press, 169–200.
Brindley, T. A. — 1930. The growth and development ofEphestia kuehniella Zeller (Lepidoptera) andTribolium confusum (Coleoptera) under controlled conditions of temperature and relative humidity. —Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am., 23, 741–757.
Collins, M. D., Ward, S. A. &Dixon, A. F. G. — 1981. Handling time and the functional response ofAphelinus thomsoni, a predator and parasite of the aphidDrepanosiphum platanoidis. —J. Anim. Ecol., 50, 479–487.
Dagnélie, P. — 1975. Analyse statistique à plusieurs-variables. —Les Presses Agron. de Gembloux.
Glas, P. C., Smith, P. H. &Van Lenteren, J. C. — 1981. Biological control of lepidopteran pests in cabbage crops by means of inundative releases ofTrichogramma species (T. evanescens Westwood andT. cacoeciae March): A combination of field and laboratory experiments. —Med. Fac. Landbouww. Rijksuniv. Gent., 46/2, 487–497.
Gross, H. R., Lewis, W. J. &Nordlund, D. A. — 1981.Trichogramma pretiosum: Effect of prerelease parasitization experience on retention in release areas and efficiency. —Env. Entomol., 10, 554–556.
Hassell, M. P., 1976. — Arthropod Predator-Prey Systems. In: Theoretical Ecology, principles and applications (R. M. May, ed.). —Blackwell, Oxford, 71–93.
Hassell, M. P., Lawton, J. H. &Beddington, J. R. — 1976. The components of arthropod predation. I. The prey death-rate. —J. Anim. Ecol., 45, 135–164.
Hassell, M. P. &May, R. M. — 1973. Stability in insect host-parasite models. —J. Anim. Ecol., 42, 693–726.
Holling, C. S. — 1959. Some characteristics of simple types of predation and parasitism. —Can. Entomol., 91, 385–398.
Holling, C. S. — 1961. Principles of insect predation. —Annu. Rev. Entomol., 6, 163–182.
Juliano, S. A. &Williams, F. M. — 1984. On the evolution of handling time. —Evolution, 39, 212–215.
Kfir, R. — 1983. Functional response to host density by the egg parasiteTrichogramma pretiosum. —Entomophaga, 28, 345–353.
Klomp, H., Teerink, B. J. &Ma, W. C. — 1980. Discrimination between parasitized and unparasitized hosts in the egg parasiteTrichogramma embryophagum (Hym.: Trichogrammatidae): A matter of learning and forgetting. —Neth. J. Zool., 30, 254–277.
Laing, J. — 1937. Host finding by insect parasites. I. Observations on the finding of hosts byAlysia manducator, Mormoniella vitripennis andTrichogramma evanescens. —J. Anim. Ecol., 6, 298–317.
Livdahl, T. P. — 1979. Evolution of handling time: the functional response of a predator to the density of sympatric and allopatric strains of prey. —Evolution, 33, 765–768.
Olson, C. L. — 1974. Comparative robustness of six tests in multivariate analysis of variance. —J. Amer. Stat. Assoc., 69, 894–908.
Pak, G. A., Buis, H. C. E. M., Heck, I. C. L. &Hermans, M. L. G. — 1986. Behavioural variations among strains ofTrichogramma spp.: host-age selection. —Entomol. Exp. Appl., 40, 247–258.
Pak, G. A. &Van Heiningen, T. H. — 1985. Behavioural variations among strains ofTrichogramma spp.: Adaptability to field-temperature conditions. —Entomol. Exp. Appl., 38, 3–13.
Pearson, E. S. &Wilks, S. S. — 1933. Methods of analysis appropriate for k samples of two variables. —Biometrika, 25, 353–378.
Pimentel, D. — 1984. Genetic diversity and stability in host-parasite systems. In: Evolutionary Ecology (B. Shorrocks, ed.). —Blackwell, Oxford, 295–312.
Pintureau, B. &Babault, M. — 1981. Caractérisation enzymatique deTrichogramma evanescens et deT. maidis [Hym.: Trichogrammatidae]; étude des hybrides. —Entomophaga, 26, 11–22.
Pintureau, B., Babault, M. &Vœgelé, J. — 1981. Etude de quelques facteurs de variation de la fécondité chezTrichogramma maidis Pintureau et Vœgelé [Hym.: Trichogrammatidae]. —Agronomie, 1, 315–322.
Pintureau, B. &Vœgelé, J. — 1980. Une nouvelle espèce proche deTrichogramma evanescens: T. maidis [Hym.: Trichogrammatidae]. —Entomophaga, 25, 431–440.
Salt, G. — 1938. Experimental studies in insect parasitism. VI. Host suitability. —Bull. Entomol. Res., 29, 223–246.
Salt, G. — 1940. Experimental studies in insect parasitism. VII; The effects of different host on the parasiteTrichogramma evanescens [Hymenoptera. Chalcidoidea]. — Proc. Roy. Entomol. Soc., London, 15, 81–95.
Samson-Boshuizen, M., Lenteren, J. C. Van &Bakker, K. — 1974. Success of parasitization ofPseudeucoila bochei Weld [Hym.: Cynipidae]: A matter of experience. —Neth. J. Zool., 24, 67–85.
Schmidt, J. M., &Smith, J. J. B. — 1985. Host volume measurement by the parasitoid waspTrichogramma minutum: The roles of curvate and surface area. —Entomol. Exp. Appl., 39, 213–221.
Schmidt, J. M. &Smith, J. J. B. — 1987. The effect of host spacing on the cluth size and parasitization rate ofTrichogramma minutum. —Entomol. Exp. Appl., 43, 125–131.
Smith, H., Gnanadesikan, R. &Hughes, J. B., 1962. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). —Biometrics, 18, 22–41.
Solomon, M. E., 1949. The natural control of animal populations. —J. Anim. Ecol., 18, 1–35.
Stinner, R. E. — 1977. Efficacy of inundative releases. —Annu. Rev. Entomol., 22, 515–531.
Thomson, D. J. — 1975. Towards a predator-prey model incorporating age structure: The effects of predator and prey size on the predation ofDaphnia magna byIchnura elegans. —J. Anim. Ecol., 44, 907–916.
Wilks, S. S. — 1932. Certain generalisations in the analysis of variance. —Biometrika, 24, 471–494.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wajnberg, E. Analysis of variations of handling-time inTrichogramma maidis . Entomophaga 34, 397–407 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02372479
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02372479
Key-Words
- Handling-time
- learning modelisation
- Trichogramma maidis
- genetic variation analysis
- egg laying behaviour
- behavioral analysis methods