Abstract
In laboratory bioassays, whole-body homogenates and fresh cornicle wax of Rhopalosiphum padi(L.) (the bird-cherry oat aphid) elicited antennal examination and attack behavior in naive females of the polyphagous aphidiid parasitoid, Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson). No such response was elicited by either homogenates or cornicle wax of Aphis nerii(Boyer de Fonscolombe) (another known host of the parasitoid) or by preparations of the aphid alarm pheromone, (E)-β-farnesene. The response to R. padiproducts was independent of rearing host and appears to be innate. Application of R. padicornicle wax to the dorsum of a nonhost aphid [Acythosiphum pisum(Harris)] increased the frequency with which this species was attacked by L. testaceipes.There was a tendency for the kairomonal activity of the cornicle secretion to decline as the wax dried, although parasitoid attack behavior was still elicited by wax which had been allowed to dry for up to 30 min before testing.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ayal, Y. (1987). The foraging strategy ofDiaeretiella rapae. I. The concept of the elementary unit of foraging.J. Anim. Ecol. 56: 1057–1068.
Bouchard, Y., and Cloutier, C. (1984). Honeydew as a source of host-searching kairomones for the aphid parasitoidAphidius nigripes (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae).Can. J. Zool. 62: 1513–1520.
Bouchard, Y., and Cloutier, C. (1985). Role of olfaction in host-finding by aphid parasitoidAphidius nigripes (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae).J. Chem. Ecol. 11: 801–808.
Budenberg, W. J. (1990). Honeydew as a contact kairomone for aphid parasitoids.Entomol. Exp. Appl. 55: 139–147.
Callow, R. K., Greenway, A. R., and Griffiths, D. C. (1973). Chemistry of the secretion from the cornicles of various species of aphids.J. Insect Physiol. 19: 737–748.
Cloutier, C., and Bauduin, F. (1990). Searching behavior of the aphid parasitoidAphidius nigripes (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae) foraging on potato plants.Environ. Entomol. 19: 222–228.
Collins, M. D., and Dixon, A. F. G. (1986). The effect of egg depletion on the foraging behaviour of an aphid parasitoid.J. Appl. Entomol. 102: 342–352.
Dixon, A. F. G. (1958). The escape responses shown by certain aphids to the presence of the coccinellidAdalia decempunctata (L.).Trans. R. Entomol. Soc. Lond. 110: 18–34.
Dixon, A. F. G., and Stewart, W. A. (1975). Function of the siphunculi in aphids with particular reference to the sycamore aphid,Drepanosiphum platanoides.J. Zool. Lond. 175: 279–289.
Gardner, S. M., and Dixon, A. F. G. (1985). Plant structure and the foraging success ofAphidius rhopalosiphi (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae).Ecol. Entomol. 10: 171–179.
Goff, A. M., and Nault, L. R. (1974). Aphid cornicle secretions ineffective against attack by parasitoid wasps.Environ. Entomol. 3: 565–566.
Greenway, A. R., and Griffiths, D. C. (1973). A comparison of triglycerides from aphids and their cornicle secretions.J. Insect Physiol. 19: 1649–1655.
Hagvar, E. B., and Hofsvang, T. (1989). Effect of honeydew and hosts on plant colonization by the aphid parasitoidEphedrus cerasicola.Entomophaga 34: 495–501.
Marsh, P. M. (1979). Family Aphidiidae. In Krombein, K. V., Hurd, P. D., Smith, D. R., and Burks, B. D. (eds.),Catalog of Hymenoptera in America North of Mexico, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., pp. 295–313.
Marston, N., and Ertle, L. R. (1973). Host influence on the bionomics ofTrichogramma minutum.Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 66: 1155–1162.
Nault, L. R., and Bowers, W. S. (1974). Multiple alarm pheromones in aphids.Entomol. Exp. Appl. 17: 455–457.
Nault, L. R., and Montgomery, M. E. (1979). Aphid alarm pheromones.Misc. Publ. Entomol. Soc. Am. 11: 23–31.
Nault, L. R., and Phelan, P. L. (1984). Alarm pheromones and sociality in pre-social insects. In Bell, W. J., and Carde, R. T. (eds.),Chemical Ecology of Insects, Chapman and Hall, London, pp. 238–256.
Pickett, J. A., and Griffiths, D. C. (1980). Composition of aphid alarm pheromones.J. Chem. Ecol. 6: 349–360.
Powell, W., and Zhang, Z.-Li. (1983). The reactions of two cereal aphid parasitoids,Aphidius uzbekistanicus andA. ervi to host aphids and their food plants.Physiol. Entomol. 8: 439–443.
Read, D. P., Feeny, P. P., and Root, R. B. (1970). Habitat selection by the aphid parasiteDiaeretiella rapae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and hyperparasiteCharips brassicae (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae).Can. Entomol. 102: 1567–1578.
Rotundo, G., Cavalloro, R., and Tremblay, E. (1988). In vitro rearing ofLysiphlebus fabarum (Hym.: Braconidae).Entomophaga 33: 261–267.
SAS Institute Inc. (1988).SAS/STAT User's Guide, Release 6.03 Edition, SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.
Schuster, D. J., and Starks, K. J. (1974). Response ofLysiphlebus testaceipes in an olfactometer to a host and a non-host insect and to plants.Environ. Entomol. 3: 1034–1035.
Sheehan, W., and Shelton, A. M. (1989). The role of experience in plant foraging by the aphid parasitoidDiaeretiella rapae (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae).J. Insect Behav. 2: 743–759.
Strand, M. R., and Vinson, S. B. (1982). Source and characterization of an egg recognition kairomone ofTelenomus heliothidis, a parasitoid ofHeliothis virescens.Physiol. Entomol. 7: 83–90.
Srivastava, M., and Singh, R. (1988). Bionomics ofTrioxys indicus, an aphidiid parasitoid ofAphis craccivora, 26. Impact of host extract on the oviposition response of the parasitoid.Biol. Agr. Hort. 5: 169–176.
Strong, F. E. (1967). Observations on aphid cornicle secretions.Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 60: 668–673.
Vet, L. E. M., and van Opzeeland, K. (1984). The influence of conditioning on olfactory microhabitat and host location inAsobara tabida (Nees) andA. rufescens (Foerster) (Braconidae: Alysiinae) larval parasitoids of Drosophilidae.Oecologia 63: 171–177.
Wientjens, W. H. J. M., Lakwijk, A. C., and van der Marel, T. (1973). Alarm pheromone of grain aphids.Experientia 29: 658–660.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Grasswitz, T.R., Paine, T.D. Kairomonal effect of an aphid cornicle secretion onLysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae).. J Insect Behav 5, 447–457 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01058190
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01058190