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Ecological dissociation and re-association with a superior competitor alters host selection behavior in a parasitoid wasp

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Abstract

Interspecific competition for limited resources can drive ecological specialization and trait expression. Organisms released from intense competition may exploit a broader range of resources, but if reunited with stronger competitors, survivorship may depend on foraging behaviors that reduce competition. We compared the host selection behavior of the parasitoid Cotesia glomerata from two North American populations that differ in their association with Cotesia rubecula, a superior competitor. Both parasitoids originate from Europe and attack the imported cabbageworm (a.k.a. small cabbage white) Pieris rapae, but C. glomerata was introduced into North America almost a century before C. rubecula. After re-association in North America, C. rubecula has displaced C. glomerata in several regions, but not in other regions. Host selection was measured in female C. glomerata from Maryland (MD) where it coexists with C. rubecula, and in conspecifics from Colorado (CO) where C. rubecula is absent. Unparasitized and C. rubecula-parasitized P. rapae hosts were used in choice tests to examine whether C. glomerata host selection behavior differed based on the population’s association history with C. rubecula. We found that C. glomerata from MD had a higher likelihood of avoiding hosts parasitized by C. rubecula (and thus avoiding competition) than did wasps from CO. The ability of C. glomerata to avoid hosts parasitized by C. rubecula may facilitate coexistence in MD; whereas, the lack of discrimination in CO populations of C. glomerata naïve to C. rubecula could contribute to the displacement of C. glomerata were C. rubecula to enter the same habitat.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to personnel at Calvert Farm, Calvert Gift Farm, Flying Plow, Glade Link Farm and Gorman Farm for allowing us to collect insects from their crops; and to the staff at CSU ARDEC for helping to maintain our plants. Many thanks also to the staff at the Colorado State University Plant Growth Facilities for providing support in rearing plant and insect colonies. We thank H.L. Gray and J.J. Weis for their assistance in collecting C. rubecula near the University of Minnesota. Financial support was granted through the United States Department of Agriculture NIFA AFRI: 2014-67013- 2172 to P.J.O and G.E.H. Additional funding was provided to D.K.V. by the William M. Brown Professional Development Award, Sigma Xi (Grant no. G201603152036938) and the Colorado State University Graduate Degree Program in Ecology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Degree Program in Ecology and Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado State University, 1177 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1177, USA

    Dhaval K. Vyas, Ryan L. Paul & Paul J. Ode

  2. Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Jeffrey A. Harvey

  3. Section Animal Ecology, Department of Ecological Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Jeffrey A. Harvey

  4. Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, 1980 Folwell Avenue, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    George E. Heimpel

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  1. Dhaval K. Vyas
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Contributions

DKV, PJO, and GEH conceived the ideas and designed methodology; DKV collected the data; DKV and PJO analyzed the data; DKV led the writing of the manuscript. All authors contributed critically to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.

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Correspondence to Dhaval K. Vyas.

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Additional information

Communicated by Sven Bacher.

Enemy-free space plays a significant role in the evolutionary ecology of species, but most enemy-free space studies focus on trophic interactions (e.g., predator–prey, parasitoid–host). We know little about how a species is affected after escaping from interspecific competitors. This research is one of the few that shows behavioral changes in a weaker competitor following separation from its stronger competitor. These results enhance our understanding of how species may change when communities experience disruptions to established ecological relationships.

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Vyas, D.K., Harvey, J.A., Paul, R.L. et al. Ecological dissociation and re-association with a superior competitor alters host selection behavior in a parasitoid wasp. Oecologia 191, 261–270 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-019-04470-5

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