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Evidence for a marking pheromone in host discrimination byCephalonomia Stephanoderis (Hym.: Bethylidae)

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Abstract

The bethylidCephalonomia stephanoderis Betrem is an ectoparasitoid that prefers to oviposit on the prepupae and pupae of the coffe berry borerHypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). It has the ability to distinguish unparasitized from parasitized hosts and rarely lays more than one egg per host. The mechanism of this host discrimination byC. stephanoderis was investigated under laboratory conditions. For this, parasitoid eggs that had been deposited on host pupae were removed and pupae were then offered (individually and collectively) to individual female wasps. A total of 92% of individually offered hosts and 93% of collectively offered hosts were not parasitized. It is concluded thatC. stephanoderis recognizes a marking pheromone deposited into or onto the host, preceding, during, or after oviposition which enables female parasitoids to avoid self and conspecific superparasitism.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Investigaciones Ecológicas del Sureste, Apartado Postal 36, Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico

    J. F. Barrera & J. Gomez

  2. Laboratoire de Neurobiologie et Comportement, Université Paul Sabatier, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062, Toulouse Cedex, France

    J. F. Barrera & C. Alauzet

Authors
  1. J. F. Barrera
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  2. J. Gomez
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  3. C. Alauzet
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Barrera, J.F., Gomez, J. & Alauzet, C. Evidence for a marking pheromone in host discrimination byCephalonomia Stephanoderis (Hym.: Bethylidae) . Entomophaga 39, 363–366 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02373041

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02373041

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