Il ruolo degli idrocarburi della cuticola nelle relazioni insetto fitofago-parassitoide oofago.

The role of host cuticular hydrocarbons in mediating the host searching behaviour of an egg parasitoid.

Endogenous and exogenous factors affecting the patch time of females of an egg parasitoid.

Ottimizzazione del comportamento di ricerca di un parassitoide oofago in presenza di stimoli indirettamente associati all'ospite.

The Egg Parasitoid Trissolcus basalis uses n-nonadecane, a Cuticular Hydrocarbon from its Stink Bug Host Nezara viridula, to Discriminate Between Female and Male Hosts

Contact kairomones from adult southern green stink bugs, Nezara viridula (L.) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) that elicit foraging behavior of the egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) were investigated in laboratory experiments. Chemical residues from tarsi and scutella of N. viridula induced foraging by gravid female T. basalis. Residues from body parts of female N. viridula elicited stronger responses than those from the corresponding body parts of males. Deproteinized tarsi still elicited searching responses from wasps, indicating that the kairomone was not proteinaceous. Hexane extracts of host cuticular lipids induced searching responses from T. basalis, with a strong preference f…