Assessing the suitability of flowering herbs as parasitoid food sources: flower attractiveness and nectar accessibility

Eleven insect-pollinated plant species were investigated with respect to their olfactory attractiveness and nectar accessibility for the parasitoid species Cotesia glomerata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Heterospilus prosopidis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), and Pimpla turionellae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biological control 2004-03, Vol.29 (3), p.307-314
Main Author: Wackers, F.L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attraction
Biodiversity
Biological control
biological control agents
Braconidae
Conservation
Cotesia glomerata
floral attraction
floral nectar
Flower
flowers
food plants
herbaceous plants
Heterospilus prosopidis
Nectar
nectar feeding
Odor
odors
olfactometry
olfactory attraction
Parasitoid
parasitoids
Pimpla turionellae
Repellent
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Summary:Eleven insect-pollinated plant species were investigated with respect to their olfactory attractiveness and nectar accessibility for the parasitoid species Cotesia glomerata (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Heterospilus prosopidis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), and Pimpla turionellae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Flowers differed considerably with respect to both their attractiveness and nectar accessibility. The results obtained from the three parasitoid species, on the other hand, showed a high level of congruency. Considering both parameters, flower attractiveness was not strictly correlated with nectar accessibility. Out of the 11 plant species tested, only two species ( Aegopodium podagraria [Apiaceae] and Origanum vulgare [Lamiaceae]) were optimal as a parasitoid food source, as they combined olfactory attractiveness with accessible nectar. Two other species ( Galium mollugo [Rubiaceae] and Leucanthemum vulgare [Asteraceae]) were attractive without providing an accessible food source. The remaining plant species either failed to attract the parasitoids ( Daucus carota [Apiaceae], Erigeron annuus [Asteraceae], Medicago lupulina [Fabaceae], and Trifolium repens [Fabaceae]), or even repelled them ( Achillea millefolium [Asteraceae], Trifolium pratense [Fabaceae], and Vicia sepium [Fabaceae]). These results show that the mere presence of flowering plants in an agroecosystem is not sufficient to guarantee nectar supply for parasitoids. It also underscores that mechanistic investigations can be a valuable tool in helping us tailor agroecosystems to the requirements of biological control agents.
ISSN:1049-9644
1090-2112
DOI:10.1016/j.biocontrol.2003.08.005