Comparison of the host searching and oviposition behaviors of the tephritid (Diptera) parasitoids Aganaspis pelleranoi y Odontosema anastrephae (Hymenoptera: Figitidae, Eucoilinae)

MARTIN ALUJA,; SERGIO OVRUSKI; LARISSA GUILLEN; LUIS OROÑO,; JOHN SIVINSKI,

JOURNAL OF INSECT BEHAVIOUR

Springer

Lugar: New York, USA; Año: 2009 vol. 22 p. 423 - 451

0892-7553

We compared the host-search and oviposition behaviors of two neotropical figitid parasitoids (Hymenoptera) that exploit the same resource in nature: ripe fruit infested by fruit fly larvae (Tephritidae) that have fallen to the ground.  Sexually mature Aganaspis pelleranoi and Odontosema anastrephae females were released individually into Plexiglas cages and exposed, under no choice conditions, to four types of fruit: 1) Clean, intact (no fruit fly larvae, no perforations); 2) clean, with artificial perforations; 3) infested (with larvae), intact; 4) infested with artificial perforations.  To compare the two parasitoid species, we built a behavioral transition matrix and sequence diagram after recording the following behaviors: walking on fruit, detection of larvae through antennation, tarsi or aculeus, fruit perforation (by biting through the epi- and mesocarp) and penetration, and oviposition.  Overall, A. pelleranoi exhibited a more complex behavioral repertoire.  Females of both species penetrated the fruit in search of larvae, but O. anastrephae remained inside them for significantly longer periods (up to eight hours).  While on an infested fruit, A. pelleranoi used principally its tarsi to detect the presence and location of larvae whereas O. anastrephae only used its antennae.  On non-infested fruit, females of both species used tarsi and antennae to ascertain if larvae were present.  We discuss our findings in light of their ecological and practical implications.