Patterns of kleptoparasitism and inquilinism in social and non-social Dunatothrips on Australian Acacia

1. Australian Acacia thrips and their parasitic exploiters provide a novel system for analysing fundamental questions about host-parasite evolution and ecology. 2. In this study, colony collections were used to examine interactions between members of the genus Dunatothrips and the diverse assemblage...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecological entomology 2007-08, Vol.32 (4), p.411-418
Main Author: BONO, JEREMY M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acacia
Density-dependent parasitism
host shift
inquiline
kleptoparasite
sociality
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Summary:1. Australian Acacia thrips and their parasitic exploiters provide a novel system for analysing fundamental questions about host-parasite evolution and ecology. 2. In this study, colony collections were used to examine interactions between members of the genus Dunatothrips and the diverse assemblage of parasitic thrips that invade domiciles constructed by the host on various species of Acacia. 3. Dunatothrips parasites adopt a range of strategies for exploiting their hosts, including lethal fighting, host eviction, and cohabitation. 4. Social Dunatothrips (D. aneurae and D. skene) were more frequently parasitised than non-social D. gloius, which could be related to differences in social organisation or the fact that D. gloius has shifted onto a novel host that is distantly related to other Dunatothrips' hosts. 5. Parasitism rates of D. aneurae and D. skene domiciles were high (46% and 51% respectively), and were positively density dependent.
ISSN:0307-6946
1365-2311
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2311.2007.00897.x