Behaviour of the aphid parasitoids Aphidius colemani and Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in response to Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Abstract

The aim of this work was to examine whether the aphid Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae) affected the foraging strategy of two insect parasitoids HymenopteraAphidius colemani and Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) by comparing wasp behaviour in the presence of the same species of aphid. In this study, the number of antennal contacts and ovipositor insertions on aphids, as well as patch residence time, were recorded. We thus expected that the behaviour of these two parasitoids should be different. Our results showed there is no significant difference in the number of antennal contacts, ovipositor insertions and residence time per aphid between the two species of parasitoids L. testaceipes and A. colemani. No difference in host selection strategy may be explained primarily by the developmental stage and the detectability of the host associated cues.