Daily locomotor activity of the parasitoid wasp Meteorus pulchricornis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) that attacks exposed lepidopteran larvae

• Published in: Applied entomology and zoology 2015-11, Vol.50 (4), p.525-531
• Main Authors: Nishimura, Takuma, Tomohiro Fujii, Katsuhiko Sakamoto, Kaoru Maeto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Applied Ecology; biological control agents; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Entomology; Environmental Management; insect larvae; Life Sciences; locomotion; Meteorus pulchricornis; natural enemies; Noctuidae; nocturnal activity; Original Research Paper; parasitic wasps; photophase; Plant Pathology; scotophase; Zoology
• ISSN: 0003-6862; 1347-605X
• DOI: 10.1007/s13355-015-0362-7

The braconid parasitoid wasp that attacks exposed lepidopteran larvae, Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael), is a common natural enemy of pest caterpillars and may serve as a biological control agent. Recently spreading nighttime lighting for the control of noctuid moths may affect the behavior of the parasitoid if it is nocturnal, but little is known about its daily activity patterns. This study investigated the locomotor activity of M. pulchricornis under various light conditions. Over a daily 16-h light:8-h dim light cycle (16L8Dim), the wasps were inactive during most of the photophase (16L), gradually becoming active late in the photophase, with activity levels peaking just after the switch to the scotophase (8Dim). Subsequently, during the scotophase, activity decreased to a moderate level and continued at that level until the switch to the photophase. In addition, after transfer from daily light/dim light cycles (16L8Dim), daily fluctuations in activity persisted for at least 1 day under continuous light or dim light conditions. This is the first report describing the nocturnal activity rhythm of parasitoid wasps and the suppression of their activity under strong light conditions.