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A comparative analysis of patch-leaving decision rules in a parasitoid family
Article first published online: 3 JUL 2003
DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2656.2003.00731.x
Additional Information
How to Cite
Wajnberg, E., Gonsard, P.-A., Tabone, E., Curty, C., Lezcano, N. and Colazza, S. (2003), A comparative analysis of patch-leaving decision rules in a parasitoid family. Journal of Animal Ecology, 72: 618–626. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2656.2003.00731.x
Publication History
- Issue published online: 3 JUL 2003
- Article first published online: 3 JUL 2003
- Received 14 January 2003; revision received 11 March 2003
- Abstract
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Keywords:
- insect parasitoids;
- patch time allocation;
- proportional hazards model;
- Trichogrammatidae
Summary
- 1The proximate behavioural rules adopted by parasitoid females to manage their foraging time on patches of hosts were studied, under standardized laboratory conditions, in different species (and populations) of the Trichogrammatidae (Hymenoptera) family.
- 2Seventeen species/populations were compared and the behavioural mechanisms adopted by the females were identified by means of a Cox's proportional hazards model.
- 3On average, females increased their patch-leaving tendency each time a healthy host was attacked and each time a parasitized host was rejected.
- 4Strong variation was observed in these patch-leaving mechanisms among the different species.
- 5Moreover, the interspecific variation in these two behavioural mechanisms showed a significant positive correlation, and this correlation remained significant when the phylogenetic relationship between the strains was controlled with the use of phylogenetic comparative methods.
- 6The adaptive and evolutionary meanings of these results are probably related to the ecological features and distribution patterns of the hosts attacked by the species/populations compared.