Adaptive preferential selection of young coccinellid hosts by the parasitoid wasp Dinocampus coccinellae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

Abstract

Dinocampus coccinellae females which eclose in mid-summer have the opportunity to oviposit in overwintered or in newly eclosed coccinellid hosts. Given the short further longevity of overwintered hosts, offspring fitness would be increased by ovipositing preferentially in young hosts. Laboratory choice tests show that female D. coccinellae do exhibit such a preference.

Keywords

• parasitoid
• host selection
• host discrimination
• dinocampus coccinellae
• braconidae
• coccinella septempunctata
• coccinellidae