Search results for "oviposition"

An olfactory receptor for food-derived odours promotes male courtship in Drosophila.

2011

International audience; Many animals attract mating partners through the release of volatile sex pheromones, which can convey information on the species, gender and receptivity of the sender to induce innate courtship and mating behaviours by the receiver. Male Drosophila melanogaster fruitflies display stereotyped reproductive behaviours towards females, and these behaviours are controlled by the neural circuitry expressing male-specific isoforms of the transcription factor Fruitless (FRU(M)). However, the volatile pheromone ligands, receptors and olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that promote male courtship have not been identified in this important model organism. Here we describe a novel…

Cost of reproduction in Callosobruchus maculatus: effects of mating on male longevity and the effect of male mating status on female longevity.

2005

One of the most studied life-history trade-offs is that resulting from the cost of reproduction: a trade-off arises when reproduction diverts limited resources from other life-history traits. We examine the cost of reproduction in male, and the effect of male mating status on female Callosobruchus maculatus seed beetles. Cost of reproduction for male C. maculatus was manifested as reduced longevity. There was also a positive relationship between male body size and male longevity. Females mated to males that had already copulated twice did not live as long as females mated to males that had copulated once or not at all. The third copulation of males also lasted longer than the two previous o…

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,…

Transient and Permanent Experience with Fatty Acids Changes Drosophila melanogaster Preference and Fitness

2013

Food and host-preference relies on genetic adaptation and sensory experience. In vertebrates, experience with food-related cues during early development can change adult preference. This is also true in holometabolous insects, which undergo a drastic nervous system remodelling during their complete metamorphosis, but remains uncertain in Drosophila melanogaster. We have conditioned D. melanogaster with oleic (C18:1) and stearic (C18:0) acids, two common dietary fatty acids, respectively preferred by larvae and adult. Wild-type individuals exposed either during a transient period of development-from embryo to adult-or more permanently-during one to ten generation cycles-were affected by such…

Behavioral and Chemical Investigations of Contact Kairomones Released by the Mud Dauber Wasp Trypoxylon politum, a Host of the Parasitoid Melittobia …

2011

Contact kairomones from the host mud dauber wasp Trypoxylon politum Say (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) that mediate behavioral responses of its ectoparasitoid Melittobia digitata Dahms (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were investigated. Chemical residues from host by-products, the cocoon, and the meconium, induced arrestment behavior of macropterous female parasitoids, while those from the host stage attacked, i.e., the prepupa, did not. Melittobia digitata response to polar and apolar extracts of host by-products indicated kairomone(s) solubility mainly in hexane. GC and GC/MS analysis of cocoon and meconium apolar extracts revealed a mixture of linear carboxylic acids from C(6) to C(18), and both ex…

Separation by FPLC chromatofocusing of UDP-glucosyltransferases from three developmental stages of Drosophila melanogaster.

1997

Variation of UDP-glucosyltransferase activity, during Drosophila melanogaster development, was analyzed. The endogenous metabolite xanthurenic acid and the xenobiotic compounds 1-naphthol and 2-naphthol were used as substrates. Developmentally regulated differences were observed for the three substrates, suggesting the presence of UDP-glucosyltransferase isoenzymes. This was further confirmed by FPLC chromatofocusing on a Mono P column: seven peaks of UDP-glucosyltransferase activity (pHs: ≥6.3, 5.8, 5.5, 4.9, 4.5, 4.2, ≤4.0) with either single or overlapping substrate specificity were detected. A single xanthurenic acid:UDP-glucosyltransferase activity (pl 5.8) was found throughout develop…

Learning can be detrimental for a parasitic wasp

2021

Animals have evolved the capacity to learn, and the conventional view is that learning allows individuals to improve foraging decisions. The parasitoid Telenomus podisi has been shown to parasitize eggs of the exotic stink bug Halyomorpha halys at the same rate as eggs of its coevolved host, Podisus maculiventris, but the parasitoid cannot complete its development in the exotic species. We hypothesized that T. podisi learns to exploit cues from this non-coevolved species, thereby increasing unsuccessful parasitism rates. We conducted bioassays to compare the responses of naïve vs. experienced parasitoids on chemical footprints left by one of the two host species. Both naïve and experienced …

How to escape from insect egg parasitoids: A review of potential factors explaining parasitoid absence across the Insecta: Escape from insect egg par…

2020

The egg is the first life stage directly exposed to the environment in oviparous animals, including many vertebrates and most arthropods. Eggs are vulnerable and prone to mortality risks. In arthropods, one of the most common egg mortality factors is attack from parasitoids. Yet, parasitoids that attack the egg stage are absent in more than half of all insect (sub)orders. In this review, we explore possible causes explaining why eggs of some insect taxa are not parasitized. Many insect (sub)orders that are not attacked by egg parasitoids lack herbivorous species, with some notable exceptions. Factors we consider to have led to escape from egg parasitism are parental egg care, rapid egg deve…

Impact of an invasive pest in local semiochemical networks

During the host location process, egg parasitoids rely on a series of chemical stimuli from the host/plant complex. In particular, in tritrophic systems consisting of plants, herbivorous stink bugs and their egg parasitoids, previous studies demonstrated that wasps are attracted by oviposition-induced plant volatiles (OIPVs). These compounds act as indirect plant defence mechanism allowing plants to recruit egg parasitoids, which are in general the most important natural enemies of stink bugs. Moreover, when wasps land on a plant, they can exploit chemical footprints left by male and female stink bugs walking on the leaves as indirect host-related cues, since chemicals lead them in an area …

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…