Search results for "oviposition"

Foraging behavior of two egg parasitoids exploiting chemical cues from the stink bug Piezodorus guildinii (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

2019

Several parasitoids attacking the same host may lead to competition. Adult parasitoids' abilities to find, parasitize and defend hosts determine resource's retention potential. In soybean, two egg parasitoid species, Telenomus podisi and Trissolcus urichi (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), compete on the egg masses of Piezodorus guildinii (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) one of the major pest of this crop. We evaluated parasitoid's abilities to exploit hosts' footprints; and parasitoid's behavior when competing for the same host. Both arena residence time and retention time were similar for T. podisi and T. urichi on male or female host footprints. In its turn, T. urichi reentered the area contaminate…

Reproductive site selection: evidence of an oviposition cue in a highly adaptive dipteran, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

2020

Abstract Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is a vinegar fly species that originates from Eastern Asia and has spread throughout Europe and the Americas since its initial detection in United States in 2008. Its relatively large, sclerotized, and serrated ovipositor enables the ability to penetrate ripening fruits, providing a protected environment for its egg and larval stages. Because the mechanism of oviposition site selection of D. suzukii is a matter of hypothesis, the aim of the present study was to elucidate behavioral and chemical aspects of short-range ovipositional site selection within the context of D. suzukii reproductive biology. The preference of D. suzukii to lay eggs on artifici…

Fitness costs of intrinsic competition in two egg parasitoids of a true bug

2015

Intrinsic competition in insect parasitoids occurs when supernumerary larvae develop in the same host as consequence of multiple ovipositions by females of the same species (intra-specific competition) or by females of different species (inter-specific competition). Studies on intrinsic competition have mainly focused on understanding the factors that play a role in the outcome of competition, while fitness-related effects for the parasitoid surviving the competition have been poorly investigated, especially in egg parasitoids. Interestingly, even the winning parasitoid can experience fitness costs due to larval development in a host in which multiple factors have been injected by the ovipo…

Mother and offspring fitness in an insect with maternal care: phenotypic trade-offs between egg number, egg mass and egg care

2014

Background Oviparous females have three main options to increase their reproductive success: investing into egg number, egg mass and/or egg care. Although allocating resources to either of these three components is known to shape offspring number and size, potential trade-offs among them may have key impacts on maternal and offspring fitness. Here, we tested the occurrence of phenotypic trade-offs between egg number, egg mass and maternal expenditure on egg care in the European earwig, Forficula auricularia, an insect with pre- and post-hatching forms of maternal care. In particular, we used a series of laboratory observations and experiments to investigate whether these three components no…

Structural and transcriptional evidence of mechanotransduction in the Drosophila suzukii ovipositor

2020

Drosophila suzukii is an invasive pest that prefers to lay eggs in ripening fruits, whereas most closely related Drosophila species exclusively use rotten fruit as oviposition site. This behaviour is allowed by an enlarged and serrated ovipositor that can pierce intact fruit skin, and by multiple contact sensory systems (mechanosensation and taste) that detect the optimal egg-laying substrates. Here, we tested the hypothesis that bristles present in the D. suzukii ovipositor tip contribute to these sensory modalities. Analysis of the bristle ultrastructure revealed that four different types of cuticular elements (conical pegs type 1 and 2, chaetic and trichoid sensilla) are present on the t…

Essential oil composition and antifeedant properties of Bellardia trixago (L.) All. (sin. Bartsia trixago L.) (Scrophulariaceae)

2008

Oviposition deterrence and repellent activities of selected essential oils against Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): laboratory and g…

2022

AbstractTuta absoluta, an invasive pinworm characterized by high reproductive potential and adaptation to different agroecological conditions, cause serious damage to tomato crops. Chemical control with synthetic insecticides is widely used to control this pest, although pesticides exhibit side effects on non-target organisms and negatively impact the environment, with the occurrence of resistance to some active substances in the target pest. The use of essential oils (EOs) from aromatic or officinal plants could represent an environmentally safe control method, alternative to synthetic insecticide application. In this work we investigated the effect of EOs from Spanish oregano, laurel, bas…

Seasonal dynamics of egg laying and egg-laying strategy of the ectoparasite Argulus coregoni (Crustacea: Branchiura).

2004

Substrate preferences, spatial aggregation patterns and seasonal dynamics in the egg laying of ectoparasiticArgulus coregoniwere studied at a commercial fish farm in Finland. Pilot experiments showed thatA. coregonifemales selected specific types of substrates for egg laying. Significantly moreA. coregonieggs were laid on dark substrates than on light ones suggesting the use of visual cues. Therefore, egg-laying plates of dark colour were constructed for further experiments. MostA. coregonieggs were deposited in locations in shadow and in the deepest water in a 2 m deep farming canal. Relatively more eggs were laid on bottom stones situated near each egg-laying trap than on artificial egg-l…

Translocation as a novel approach to study effects of a new breeding habitat on reproductive output in wild birds

2011

Environmental conditions under which species reproduce have major consequences on breeding success and subsequent fitness. Therefore breeding habitat choice is ultimately important. Studies rarely address the potential fitness pay-offs of alternative natural breeding habitats by experimental translocation. Here we present a new tool to study fitness consequences of free living birds in different habitats. We translocated a migratory passerine, the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), to a novel site, where pairs were subjected to a short stay (2-4 days) in a nest box-equipped aviary before being released. We show that it is technically possible to retain birds in the new area for breeding,…

First data on the repellent activity of essential oils of Citrus limon towards medfly (Ceratitis capitata)

2012

The biological activity of peel essential oils of two Sicilian cultivars of C. limon, ‘Interdonato’ and ‘Lunario’, was investigated by electrophysiological recordings (EAG) and field trials on Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera Tephritidae). The EAG data showed a remarkable dose-response relationship and a low activation threshold dose (10-3M) for both essential oil extracts. In field tests, essential oils showed a good repellent and antiovipositional activi- ty on ‘Navelina’ oranges, and in particular the essential oils of ‘Lunario’ pro- vided the same results of kaolin. Potential applications of essential oils from C. limon cultivars against C. capitata in organic farming are discuss…